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Initiative Petition 28 is a proposed 2026 ballot initiative that would create criminal risk for everyday activities connected to animal care, food production, pest control, hunting, fishing, trapping, and natural resource management.
At a time when families are already concerned about rising grocery costs, Oregon should be supporting local food production, not making it harder. IP 28 would create uncertainty for farms and ranches, threaten Oregon’s food supply, and put pressure on the people and businesses working every day to produce, process, transport, and sell food.
Oregon dairy farmers care for their animals every day. They work with veterinarians, nutritionists, regulators, and animal care programs to produce safe, high-quality milk and dairy foods for Oregon families.
IP 28 is not a narrow proposal. It would dramatically expand criminal risk around everyday activities Oregonians rely on, including food production, animal husbandry, pest control, hunting, fishing, and trapping.
For farmers and ranchers, this creates legal uncertainty around routine, necessary work involved in raising animals and producing food. For homeowners, businesses, schools, parks, and communities, it raises serious questions about how pests, rodents, invasive species, predators, and wildlife could be managed.
That is why ODFA believes IP 28 is extreme and out of touch. It would replace practical, regulated systems with a sweeping legal standard that ignores real-world consequences for food production, animal care, land stewardship, and rural communities..
IP 28 is not just about one industry or one type of animal. It would affect Oregon’s broader food system, including dairy farms, ranches, processors, agricultural businesses, rural employers, and consumers.
If passed, IP 28 could make it harder for Oregon farmers and ranchers to continue producing local food. That matters because when local production is reduced, families are left with fewer choices, greater reliance on food produced outside the region, and additional pressure on food costs.
Oregonians should be concerned about any proposal that makes food production more difficult, more uncertain, and more expensive.
IP 28 would not stop at farms and ranches. Its impacts would reach people and businesses across Oregon, including those who produce, process, transport, sell, prepare, and buy food.
Families would face fewer local food choices and greater reliance on food shipped from other states or countries, adding more pressure to grocery costs.
Farmers, ranchers, and farm workers
Dairy, beef, poultry, sheep, and other livestock operations would face criminal risk around necessary animal care and food production practices, threatening farms and the people they employ.
Grocery stores, restaurants, and food businesses
If Oregon produces less food in-state, the impact would reach grocery shelves, restaurants, food service providers, and local brands that families know and trust.
Rural businesses and local jobs
Dairy and livestock farms support veterinarians, feed suppliers, milk haulers, processors, equipment dealers, transportation companies, and many other businesses. If farms are disrupted, those jobs and businesses would be affected too.
Homeowners, schools, parks, and local communities
Pest and rodent control, wildlife management, and predator management are important for protecting homes, schools, parks, pets, livestock, crops, and public spaces. IP 28 would limit the tools communities rely on to manage those issues.
Hunters, anglers, guides, and outdoor recreation businesses
Hunting, fishing, and trapping are part of Oregon’s outdoor heritage and economy. IP 28 would create serious consequences for recreation, guides, outfitters, retailers, and wildlife management.
Researchers, educators, and students
Agricultural education and research help improve animal care, food safety, environmental stewardship, and food production. IP 28 would put important teaching and research activities at risk.
Help protect Oregon dairy farming and local food production. A contribution to the ODFA Dairy PAC supports advocacy efforts to oppose harmful policies like IP 28 and defend the future of Oregon agriculture.
IP 28 creates serious legal uncertainty around common and necessary work connected to animal care, livestock management, transportation, pest control, farming, and food production. These responsibilities are essential for farmers, ranchers, veterinarians, researchers, businesses, and many Oregon communities.
Oregon families rely on farmers and ranchers for milk, cheese, yogurt, beef, eggs, and other foods produced close to home. IP 28 would not just add red tape or new regulation. It would create criminal risk for animal agriculture and could eliminate Oregon’s ability to produce dairy, meat, eggs, and other animal-based foods.
Food prices are already high for many families. Policies that make it harder to produce food locally can add more pressure to an already strained food system.
Dairy farms are part of a larger local food economy. They support employees, veterinarians, feed suppliers, milk haulers, processors, equipment dealers, transportation companies, and many other businesses. If IP 28 eliminates or severely restricts dairy and livestock production in Oregon, the damage would reach far beyond individual farms. It would threaten rural jobs, local businesses, and the communities that depend on agriculture.
Responsible animal care is daily, skilled work. Oregon dairy farmers work with veterinarians and follow animal care, food safety, and regulatory standards to protect herd health and produce safe, high-quality milk. IP 28 replaces that reality with a sweeping legal standard that could criminalize necessary animal care and food production practices.
IP 28 is not officially a ballot measure yet. To qualify for the November 2026 ballot, proponents must submit 117,173 valid signatures by the state deadline.
As of spring 2026, proponents had submitted more than 100,000 signatures. Because some signatures may be rejected during verification, campaigns often need to collect more signatures than the minimum required.
IP 28 is not new. It is the latest version of a repeated effort to criminalize everyday activities tied to food production, animal care, and cultural heritage.
IP 28 is a sweeping proposal with serious consequences. Before supporting it, voters should ask:
Would this make it harder to produce food in Oregon?
Could this increase costs for farmers, processors, and consumers?
What happens if more food has to come from outside Oregon?
How would this affect rural jobs and local businesses?
Does this measure reflect the realities of responsible animal care and food production?
Would essential work become criminal risk under this proposal?
ODFA believes the answer is clear: IP 28 is bad for Oregon agriculture, bad for local food production, and bad for consumers.
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We support high standards of animal care, local food production, strong rural communities, and policies that help Oregon families access safe, affordable food.
IP 28 would be devastating for Oregon. It would create criminal risk for essential work, threaten in-state food production, and push Oregon toward greater dependence on food produced elsewhere.