Oregon Initiative Petition 28, or IP28, is a 2026 ballot measure called the PEACE Act that would remove many current exemptions from Oregon’s animal-cruelty laws. Supporters say it would extend legal protections to animals on farms, in research, and in the wild by making intentional injury, killing, forced impregnation, and certain neglectful treatment illegal except for veterinary care and self-defense. Supporters also say it would create a Humane Transition Fund to help affected workers and communities with food assistance, retraining, and conservation-related transition support. Opponents argue that IP28 is so broad it could effectively criminalize hunting, fishing, trapping, ranching, and parts of animal research and pest control. They say it would threaten rural economies, food production, and wildlife management, and could put Oregon’s hunting-and-angling-funded conservation system at risk. Another major objection is that the measure does not include clear exemptions for treaty-protected tribal hunting and fishing rights, which critics say could create legal and cultural conflict.

The measure is still a proposal for the November 2026 election and must qualify by signature before voters can decide it.

Slow Food’s public positions emphasize better treatment of animals, support for small-scale and agroecological farming, and a food system that respects animals, land, and people. In general, Slow Food USA tends to draw a line between factory farming and small farms that raise animals with more attention to welfare, ecology, and local food culture. From that point of view, a measure like IP28 risks harming farmers, food sovereignty, or traditional rural practices along with the practices it is trying to challenge. Our local chapter does not speak for the overall Slow Food group, and Slow Food USA has not taken a stance on this legislation. We worry that the measure is too broad and may unintentionally damage small farms and local food systems. Overall, we (Slow Food South Willamette) do believe that animals deserve stronger protection, but we also worry about this too-broad legal approach that could harm small farmers, local food systems, and traditional practices.

We encourage you to look into this and be aware of it if you are approached by people asking you to sign petitions. We have personally experienced and heard others say that they have experienced people requesting signatures not being completely honest about what they are asking people to sign. If someone approaches you and says something about “protecting animals,” it’s quite likely this is the measure they are talking about.