Oregon Hunting Ban Fails
Oregon ballot initiative to ban hunting and fishing fails signature threshold.
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Key Points
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IP-28 failed two rounds of signature verification, with the first-round failure announced on July 16 and a second, larger verification also failing to reach the required threshold.
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The Elections Division used Statistical Sampling Procedures for State Petitions under administrative rule OAR 165-014-0030, and only 104,262 of 142,347 signatures were deemed valid (73.25%).
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Beyond hunting and fishing, IP-28 would criminalize a broad array of activities such as pest control, scientific animal research, use of animals in rodeos, operating a commercial poultry business, and castration/neutering livestock.
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The measure proposed a Humane Transition Fund and an oversight council intended to address economic impacts, food shortages, and animal-care needs if the policy had advanced.
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Opposition to IP-28 was broad among Oregon politicians and groups, including all 37 House Democrats publicly opposing the measure, along with statements from Gov. Tina Kotek and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley.
Oregon's sweeping animal-rights ballot measure is dead — at least for this election cycle. Initiative Petition 28, known as the PEACE Act, failed to gather enough valid signatures to appear on the November ballot, Oregon Capital Chronicle reported. The Oregon Secretary of State's office found only 104,262 of the 142,347 submitted signatures were valid — about 13,000 short of the 117,173 needed.
The measure would have made Oregon the first state to broadly criminalize hunting, fishing, livestock farming, and animal research. Its collapse ends what had been one of the most controversial ballot efforts in Oregon history.
Signature Count Fell Far Short of the Legal Bar
Oregon election officials ran two rounds of signature checks using a process called Statistical Sampling Procedures, under state administrative rule OAR 165-014-0030. The first failure was announced on July 16. A second, larger verification confirmed the result. Only 73.25% of submitted signatures turned out to be valid, Oregon Capital Chronicle reported.
Campaigns need valid signatures from registered Oregon voters. Duplicate, unreadable, or unregistered names don't count. The PEACE Act campaign turned in roughly 142,784 signatures but came up nearly 13,000 valid ones short. That gap proved too large to overcome, according to KXL.
PEACE Act Would Have Reshaped Daily Life Across Oregon
IP-28 went far beyond banning hunting and fishing. It would have made it a crime to run a commercial poultry business, castrate or neuter livestock, use animals in rodeos, conduct scientific research on animals, or carry out routine pest control, KPTV reported.
Supporters said the measure would extend basic protections to all animals. To soften the economic blow, the initiative proposed a Humane Transition Fund and an oversight council to handle food shortages and displaced workers. Critics called those safeguards unrealistic for a state with a large agricultural industry.
Oregon Democrats Distanced Themselves Fast and Loudly
The measure triggered rare, unified political backlash. All 37 Oregon House Democrats publicly opposed IP-28. Governor Tina Kotek criticized it. U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley also spoke out against the initiative, according to Oregon Capital Chronicle.
The speed of that opposition showed how much political risk the measure carried. Republicans tried to use it against Democrats even before signatures were counted. With IP-28 off the ballot, Oregon Democrats avoided what could have been a painful November liability in swing districts.
Animal-Rights Groups Face a Long Road in Oregon Politics
The PEACE Act was led by Portland-based vegan advocates. Its failure shows the limits of the citizen initiative process for sweeping social change. Gathering enough valid signatures is expensive and hard — and IP-28's 73% validity rate was notably low, KXL reported.
Supporters could try again in a future election cycle. But the broad political opposition — from the governor down to state lawmakers — suggests any similar measure would face steep headwinds even if it reached the ballot. For now, hunting, fishing, and farming remain legal across Oregon.
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