Patriot Brief

  • What Happened: A petition in Oregon seeks to pass the PEACE Act, which would criminalize hunting, fishing, trapping, wildlife management, and even pest control except in self-defense.
  • Why It Matters: The initiative would expand animal cruelty laws to cover wild animals, livestock, and research animals, making Oregon a "sanctuary state" for animals.
  • Bottom Line: Organizers admit most Oregonians are not ready but want to force the conversation and push the state toward banning the killing of animals entirely.

Oregon radicals are pushing a ballot measure that would criminalize hunting, fishing, trapping, and even killing pests in your own home.

The petition seeks to pass the People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions Act, which would expand Oregon's animal cruelty laws to cover wild animals, livestock, and animals used in research. Currently, the laws protect pets like dogs and cats. Under this initiative, killing or injuring any animal for any reason other than self-defense would be a crime.

David Michelson, the chief proponent of the petition, admitted that most Oregonians are not ready for this but said they are pushing it anyway. "We really want to make Oregon the first state to vote on something like this," Michelson said. "We are aware that it's unlikely 50 percent of Oregonians are ready right now to move away from killing animals. But we want to get that conversation out there."

In other words, they know the state is not on board, but they are forcing the issue to move Oregon in that direction.

Amy Patrick of the Oregon Hunter Association called it exactly what it is. "They want to make Oregon a sanctuary state," Patrick said. "It would criminalize hunting, fishing, trapping, wildlife management practices, education and teaching with animals, all the way down to your ability to trap pests and vermin."

That means no more hunting. No more fishing. No more trapping mice in your home. No more wildlife management to control overpopulation. Nothing. If it involves killing or injuring an animal, it would be a crime unless you are defending yourself.

This is the radical left's vision for America. They want to eliminate hunting and fishing, shut down livestock farming, end wildlife management, and make it illegal to kill a rat in your basement. And they are starting with Oregon.

If this makes it to the ballot and somehow passes, Oregon will become the first state to criminalize one of the most fundamental human activities: managing the natural world. Hunters, fishermen, ranchers, and anyone who owns a mousetrap would become criminals overnight.

This is insanity. And it is exactly what happens when radicals are allowed to write laws.