More than 140,000 people across Oregon have signed a petition to end fishing, hunting, and animal agriculture in the state.
A campaign called Yes on IP28 has submitted a petition to Oregon state officials in support of the People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE) Act. The proposal, also known as Initiative Petition 28, would amend Oregon’s animal cruelty laws by removing exemptions for fishing, hunting, and animal agriculture.
“Animals on farms, research labs, exhibitions, and in the wild would no longer be allowed to be intentionally injured or killed (abused), nor would they be allowed to be forcibly impregnated (sexually assaulted),” states Yes on IP28. “Animals in transport trucks, or in the industries already mentioned, could no longer be deprived of adequate food, water, and shelter (neglected) either.”
The PEACE Act hasn’t officially qualified for the ballot yet, as state officials likely won’t make a final decision until August. If it qualifies, it will be put to a popular vote in November.
This is the third time campaigners have tried to push for amendments to Oregon’s animal cruelty laws, but this effort is already looking more promising than previous ones. In 2022, the organization gathered 2,000 signatures, and in 2024, it collected 40,000. This time, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals provided financial support for the campaign.
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Will the ban actually pass?
David Michelson, a spokesperson for Yes on IP28, says that despite the progress, the ban is unlikely to progress this year. Still, even making it onto the ballot would be a win, he told Current Affairs in 2025, and the organization has no plans to back down if it doesn’t pass.“Our goal is to be persistent,” he said. “We take part of our inspiration from the US Women’s Suffrage Movement, which used the same strategy to get the right to vote.” Indeed, in Oregon, the women’s suffrage initiative passed on its sixth attempt.
“It is definitely our hope that this initiative will draw attention to the vastly different ways we treat companion animals compared to animals currently on farms, in research labs, and in the wild,” he added.
His hope isn’t misplaced; some similar initiatives have passed in the US in recent years, although none have been as far-reaching as the PEACE Act. In 2018, for example, California approved Proposition 12, a state ballot initiative that prohibits the sale of eggs, pork, or veal from animals kept in extreme confinement. And in 2025, new rules against the extreme confinement of mother pigs went into effect in Ohio.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
