Initiative Petition 13, or IP13, was filed in Oregon in November by a Portland animal-rights activist with almost 1,100 sponsorship signatures. In the latest development, if by July 8 supporters collect the 112,020 signatures required to move the petition forward, it could be a bill on the November 2022 ballot for Oregon voters.
Why does this matter? The bill would effectively ban hunting, fishing, trapping, and animal agriculture such as dairy farming and ranching.
The stated goal of the bill is to “remove many of the current exemptions from Oregon’s animal cruelty laws against animal abuse, animal neglect, and animal sexual assault.”
Who doesn’t want to end abuse, neglect, and sex crimes against animals? But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find this bill would make the intentional killing of an animal, such as slaughtering a cow for beef, animal abuse. Tethering any farm animal would be considered neglect, and artificial insemination would be deemed sexual assault. Hunting, fishing, and trapping practices would also be considered animal abuse — and felonies.
A dozen agriculture groups have lined up against the bill, Dairy Herd Management reported, noting that “IP13 would not only eliminate that exception but also slap a crime on, as it now would classify breeding livestock as sexual abuse of an animal, a Class C felony. The measure does not stop there but also would take away protections for hunting, fishing, rodeos, slaughtering livestock, wildlife management, pest control, scientific research and more.”
In an FAQ section on the website for the bill, the question is posed:
“Would IP13 make hunting, fishing, and trapping illegal? If passed, IP13 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.”
For ranchers, it claims raising cattle would still be legal, but meat could only be harvested after the animal “died of natural causes, such as old age.”
The website continues that the bill may not impact tribal law or sovereign Indigenous nations, but that there will be no “exemptions from our animal cruelty laws for individuals depending on their racial or ethnic background.” It also states that the petitioners are “confident” that all Oregonians will be able to find both food and economic security — a curious conclusion, as only 3% of Americans report themselves vegan and 5% say they are vegetarians.
Read Next: Local Smoke: Five of the Best Barbecue Joints in America
cynthia c tillett says
What a bunch of Whack a doodles..!!
Lioba Multer says
It’s because you always leave them outside in the rain!
Robin Castle says
Lori – With all due respect, there aren’t enough “cow gases” to be concerned with compared to the “gasses” that come from vehicles and other industries in Oregon.
Bonnie M Futoransky says
There is just so many things in this world but this is really the stupidest idea that I’ve ever heard of that’s why I couldn’t everybody out of work because I can’t spotted the chickens or Slaughter the cows for for me for something at the store are they going to do track it in you can’t do that either you’re putting people out of work because of well people do have to eat so I mean your choice just because there’s vagins and vegetarians and everything else nobody says that they can’t grow their Garden they can’t do they have made it to where nobody can make a living if this deal goes through then there’s a lot of people out there that just aren’t using their brains it should never make it to the ballots in the first place they should throw it out people really need to get their head together and use their brains a lot 4 I’m a Hunter and I like going fishing I don’t leave my stuff behind and I don’t abused it I eat it just like most people eat their fish their beef their pork they’re chickens their eggs turkeys their eggs and ducks now when you take all that away you’re not going to have no food in the things except for canned goods does that mean we’re all going to have to be vegetarians I don’t think that’s how it works and hopefully this bill does not go through
Linda says
I agree I eat meat it says in the bible we can eat meat, I love to go fishing I eat the fish I get. Most of us Oregonians are meat eaters these crybaby vegans should realize that when the eat just plants they are eatting the food alot of the animals eat. Plus our teeth should that we humans eat both plants, vegetables, fruit and meat.
anon says
Bonnie M Futoransky don’t worry there is plenty of nearly dead animals to send to oregon
Out of Issue Jarhead says
I live in Oregon. This has no chance of passing. Even if it did it is grossly unconstitutional. And if you want to go tell the cattle ranchers, hunters, fishermen, and trappers of Eastern Oregon their activities are now illegal – Go ahead. Just make sure you’re behind hard cover when you do it. Particulars the ranchers. They can be some pretty rough old cobs when abused.