IP 28 Is Out—But Deschutes County Has a Map to Consider

For the first time since 1966, Oregon voters will see no initiative petitions on the statewide November general election ballot.

Initiative Petition 28 (IP 28), known as the People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE) Act, failed to gather the 117,173 valid signatures required to qualify. The campaign submitted 142,784 signatures, but after the state completed its verification process, only 104,262 were determined to be valid.

IP 28 would have made significant changes to Oregon's animal cruelty laws by removing existing exemptions for activities including farming and ranching, hunting, fishing, trapping, livestock production, wildlife management and other practices. A preliminary analysis from the Oregon Legislative Revenue Office found the measure could have significantly affected several economic sectors, with impacts expected to fall disproportionately on rural and coastal communities.

The proposal drew broad, bipartisan opposition, including from agricultural, veterinary, conservation and sportsmen's organizations. Here in Central Oregon, State Senator Anthony Broadman, co-chair of the Oregon Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus, publicly opposed IP 28, citing its potential effects on locally raised food, hunting and fishing, and Oregon's rural communities. Governor Tina Kotek also opposed the proposal, as did all 37 members of the Oregon House Democratic Caucus - joining Republican lawmakers in raising concerns about its effects on farming, ranching, hunting and fishing.

With IP 28 failing to qualify, Oregon's November general election ballot will be the first in 60 years without a statewide citizen initiative. That does not mean local ballots will be without measures - counties, cities and other local jurisdictions may still place measures before voters this November, including measures that could have significant impacts on local governance and communities.

Here in Deschutes County, voters will weigh in on County Commission redistricting. Following voter approval in 2024 to expand the Commission from three to five members, the County convened a seven-member District Mapping Advisory Committee to develop potential boundaries for five geographic commissioner districts. After months of meetings, public input and consideration of several options, the committee voted 4-3 to recommend Map C.

The County Commission was similarly divided over sending the proposal to voters. Commissioners Patti Adair and Tony DeBone voted in favor of referring the map to the November ballot, while Commissioner Phil Chang opposed, resulting in a 2-1 decision. If approved by voters, commissioners would be elected by geographic district beginning in 2028; if rejected, all five seats would continue to be elected at-large.