A radical Oregon ballot measure backed by vegan activists is so sweeping that even Democrats are warning it would criminalize everyday hunting, fishing, and farming.
Story Highlights
- Initiative Petition 28 (the PEACE Act) would make intentionally injuring or killing almost any animal a crime, wiping out exemptions for hunting, fishing, ranching, and research.
- Supporters openly admit the goal is to treat livestock and wildlife like pets in law, “taking killing off the table” and ending animal slaughter in Oregon.[9]
- Opponents say nearly one million Oregonians who hunt, fish, farm, or work with animals could face criminal charges if this measure passes.
- The campaign promises a taxpayer-funded “transition fund” for people whose jobs disappear, while leaving meat sales legal but banning in‑state animal agriculture.[1]
What IP28 Actually Does to Hunting, Fishing, and Food
Oregon Initiative Petition 28, branded as the People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions or PEACE Act, rewrites the state’s animal abuse laws so that almost any intentional injury or killing of an animal becomes a crime. Under current law, hunting, fishing, ranching, farming, and many research practices are specifically exempt from cruelty statutes. IP28 removes those exemptions, so lawful activities today would be treated the same as abuse tomorrow.
The Yes on IP28 campaign says its goal is to extend the protections we give dogs and cats to all animals, including those on farms, in labs, and in the wild.[5] On its own website, the campaign explains that animals in these settings would “no longer be allowed to be intentionally injured or killed,” except in self‑defense or veterinary care. In a radio interview, an IP28 leader confirmed the measure would mean moving away from slaughtering animals for food, hunting and fishing, and animal testing.[9]
How Far the Ban Reaches: Farms, Labs, Even Pest Control
Critics across the spectrum are calling the proposal extreme because of how far it reaches into normal life. The Oregon Hunters Association warns the measure would classify all licensed hunting and sport or commercial fishing as criminal animal abuse, ending those activities statewide if it passes. Industry and farm groups say raising animals for meat, dairy, eggs, and fiber would also be treated as abuse, since slaughter and even some breeding practices would now fall under criminal law.[1]
Outdoor and agriculture advocates add that trapping, pest control, and many forms of wildlife management would be swept in as well. One analysis notes that even killing a mouse in your kitchen or running a commercial poultry business could be treated as a crime under the new rules.[3] Research that uses animals, including medical and wildlife studies, would be banned, cutting off tools scientists use to test medicines, manage disease, and protect ecosystems.
Money, Jobs, and the Promise of a “Transition Fund”
Supporters of IP28 admit the measure would heavily impact people who work with animals, so they propose a “Humane Transition Fund” to pay for job retraining, income replacement, and shifting whole industries away from livestock and animal use.[1] That fund would be filled with tax dollars and redirected subsidies that now support agriculture and related fields. Critics argue this is government telling entire sectors to shut down and then offering temporary checks instead of real livelihoods.
Conservation and hunting groups also warn about the financial hit to wildlife management. The National Wild Turkey Federation estimates that criminalizing hunting and fishing would wipe out about $1.9 billion in economic activity and roughly $180 million a year in funding for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, which depends on license fees and related spending. That would leave less money for habitat work, species recovery, and public‑land access that hunters and anglers have funded for generations.
Why Even Some Democrats Call It “Extreme”
The push behind IP28 follows a pattern conservatives have seen before: activists write a sweeping measure, label it “anti‑cruelty,” then insist it is just common sense while the fine print rewires daily life.[2] Oregon already has laws against abuse, neglect, and animal fighting. Opponents say this initiative does not simply tighten those protections; it erases the legal line between genuine cruelty and long‑standing, regulated uses of animals like hunting, ranching, and scientific research.
Oregon activists are one step closer to putting pure insanity on the 2026 ballot.
The PEACE Act (Initiative Petition 28) would make it illegal to kill any animal except in self-defense.
That means:
No more commercial fishing
No more hunting
No more animal agriculture or… pic.twitter.com/p1MdwAm9Xe— Gina Beana Fofina (@Ginasassyass) June 16, 2026
What stands out this time is how broad the backlash has become. Sportsmen’s groups, animal professionals, and farm organizations are all sounding the alarm, and even some left‑leaning voices and self‑described vegans are warning that IP28 is unworkable and would spur illegal, unregulated activity instead of real welfare gains. That kind of bipartisan concern shows how far outside the mainstream this measure sits, even in a blue state long used as a testing ground for activist experiments.
Sources:
[1] Web – Even Democrats Are Calling This Vegan-Backed Oregon Ballot Initiative …
[2] Web – Oregon Ballot Initiative Would Outlaw Hunting and …
[3] Web – Reject Oregon’s Ban on Farming, Fishing, and Hunting – Change.org
[5] Web – The madcap effort to ban farming, fishing and hunting in Oregon
[9] Web – Oregon petition to criminalize hunting, fishing reaches …