By Dave Workman
Signature gathering for a radical animal rights initiative which would ban all hunting in Oregon is nearing its goal of 117,173 valid signatures—which must be verified by July 2—and it is raising alarms among hunters across the country.
So far, according to a report in the Portland Oregonian, the PEACE Act (People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions) has gathered “about 105,000 signatures” and there are still more than four months remaining to collect the rest.
Kevin Starrett, head of the Oregon Firearms Federation, told TGM via email, “The measure is flat out…crazy. And, I think there are people thinking that, just like Measure 114, ‘it can never pass.’”
Measure 114 is the anti-gun-rights initiative which narrowly passed in November 2022, and has ever since been tied up in legal challenges in both state and federal courts. The Oregon state Supreme Court could hand down a ruling on the constitutionality of Measure 114 at any time.
The leader of this petition movement, David Michelson, told KOIN News earlier this month, “We really want to make Oregon the first state to vote on something like this.”
Outdoors groups are sounding the alarm. Levi Barrera, president of the Hoodview chapter of the Oregon Hunters Association, is also quoted by KOIN, explaining how outlawing hunting will result in a wildlife management disaster and leave a huge economic impact in the Beaver State. For openers, Oregon would say goodbye to millions of dollars in fish and wildlife restoration raised by the Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson excise tax programs.
TGM recently reported on this year’s Pittman-Robertson apportionments to the states. This year alone, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is getting $20,075,259 from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for wildlife restoration and conservation.
Michelson and other proponents are candid about their effort, and even post this message on their campaign website:
“If passed, IP28 would remove the exemption for hunting, fishing, and trapping from our cruelty laws, meaning that any practice that involves the intentional injury of an animal would be criminalized. Although the practice of seeking, pursuing, and in some cases even capturing an animal would still be legally protected, the practice of killing animals would no longer be protected. Many of those who are following the campaign are concerned about meeting the needs that they currently try to meet by hunting, fishing, and trapping. Those needs have included a need for food, a need for conservation, a need for recreation, and many others. We want to help show how all of those needs can still be met while also meeting the needs of animals to be free from unnecessary human-caused suffering. Within the state of Oregon we have ample food, as well as the resources needed to distribute that food to every citizen. There are also a multitude of humane and creative methods for conserving our environment and, in a state as wonderful as Oregon, there are countless activities we can engage in for recreation that do not involve taking the life of an animal; it is possible that everyone can get their needs met.”
In a state that narrowly passed an extremely restrictive gun control ballot measure four years ago, nobody who hunts or fishes, raises cattle or other livestock is taking this campaign lightly. If the PEACE Act gets on the November ballot, between now and then there will be a political fight likely to involve every sportsman organization in the country, along with livestock producers, Oregon-based commercial fishing groups, anglers, fishing guides and even pet breeders.
