Decision 2026: Petition to Ban Hunting and Fishing in Oregon Fails to Make November Ballot
Backers submitted more than 142,000 signatures, but only 104,262 were valid, keeping Initiative Petition 28 off the November ballot, officials said.
- On Friday, the Oregon Secretary of State's Office confirmed Initiative Petition 28 failed to qualify for the November ballot after determining backers lacked sufficient valid signatures.
- Although backers submitted 142,784 signatures, state election officials verified only 104,262 as valid, falling short of the 117,173 required for the PEACE Act to address animal cruelty protections.
- The Oregon Farm Bureau, a leading opponent, called the failure "welcome news," as critics argued the measure would criminalize hunting, fishing, and traditional farming activities.
- Governor Tina Kotek said she was "relieved" the measure failed, while Republican State Senator Christine Drazan urged vigilance against future efforts; this marks the first general election in decades without a citizen-led initiative.
- Petitioner David Michelson indicated the movement would continue, stating, "As long as animals are being killed, there will be a movement of people wanting to protect them." This was his third attempt in recent years.
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Oregon initiative that would have banned most killing of animals won’t be on November ballots - The Mexico Ledger
Members of the Yakama Nation harvest Pacific lamprey at Wilumpt, or Willamette Falls, near Oregon City on June 24, 2026. The lamprey are an ancient and culturally significant species for many Northwest tribes. Fishing would have been banned under an initiative that failed to gather sufficient signatures to make the November ballot. (Photo by Alex Baumhardt/Oregon Capital Chronicle)Oregonians won’t vote in November on whether to ban hunting, fish…
Columbia Gorge News
Oregon initiative that would have banned most killing of animals won’t be on November ballots
Oregonians won’t vote in November on whether to ban hunting, fishing, livestock farming and animal research after backers of a widely criticized initiative failed to gather enough valid signatures to make the ballot. The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office announced…
Decision 2026: Petition to ban hunting and fishing in Oregon fails to make November ballot
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- According to the Oregon Secretary of State's Office, IP-28 - also known as Initiative Petition 28, failed to gather enough signatures to appear on ballots in November.The petition would have made hunting, fishing and slaughtering of livestock a crime in Oregon.Oregon Governor Tina Kotek's office provided this statement concerning the issue:
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