Oregon’s Animal Killing Ban Fails to Make November Election

Last week Weekly Industry News reported on an Oregon initiative that would ban the killing of animals for food, because they’re pests, and for any number of other reasons. However, the initiative failed to gather the proper number of signatures to get the issue on the November ballot. Initiative Petition 28 had 75% of the valid signatures needed to be voted upon by Oregon voters.

The impact on the state’s cattle and poultry industry would have been catastrophic. Hunting and fishing would be illegal and if caught doing hunting or fishing, a person would be charged with a criminal act.

Animal research would also be banned.

The leadership of both the Democratic and Republican parties opposed the ban. Lauren Kuenzi — the government affairs director at the Oregon Farm Bureau — spoke for the coalition put together to defeat the initiative.

“Today’s announcement means Oregonians will not be faced with a ballot measure that would have made criminals out of law-abiding citizens, threatened family farms and ranches, increased food costs and undermined the science-based wildlife management that protects our state’s natural resources,” Kuenzi said.

By the way, for the first time in decades Oregonians will have no citizen-led initiatives to vote on in November. All 88 being proposed to the people failed to gather enough signatures.

Source link: Oregon Capital Chronicle — https://bit.ly/4pJVKFn