Oregon petition to ban hunting and fishing moves closer to November ballot

Oregon activists moved closer to placing a measure prohibiting fishing and hunting on the November ballot, advancing Initiative Petition 28 led by Portland-based animal rights advocates. The organizers submitted more than 126,000 signatures to the Oregon Secretary of State, surpassing the 117,000-signature threshold required to qualify for the ballot. The Office will verify signatures using statistical sampling before the measure proceeds. If validated, the petition would bring the state closer to outlawing hunting and fishing methods deemed essential to certain industries, highlighting a potential broad economic impact alongside changes to animal cruelty laws.