A proposed constitutional amendment seeking to protect the rights of Oregonians to hunt, fish, farm, ranch and participate in other natural-resource activities has reached another step in the process of potentially qualifying for the November 2028 statewide ballot.
Initiative Petition 25, known by supporters as the Oregon Freedom Amendment, has been referred by the Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division to the Oregon Attorney General for preparation of a ballot title.
The referral means the petition has met the initial sponsorship-signature requirement necessary to move forward in Oregon’s initiative process. It does not mean the proposal has qualified for the ballot.
Oregon Secretary of State initiative records identify Petition 2028-025 as an “Amendment to protect rights to hunt, fish, farm, trap, ranch, grow food, and wildlife management.”
The proposal seeks to amend the Oregon Constitution to establish protections for a number of activities associated with agriculture, food production and natural-resource management.
“This is about protecting the people’s ability to continue the practices that have helped sustain Oregon communities for generations,” said Kari Goodheart, chief petitioner of the Oregon Freedom Amendment.
Goodheart said hunting, fishing, farming, ranching, trapping, growing food, caring for animals and managing wildlife are closely connected to Oregon’s land, culture, food supply and way of life.
“The people should have a constitutional safeguard for these activities,” she said.
What Would the Amendment Protect?
According to supporters, the proposed Oregon Freedom Amendment would establish constitutional protections for individuals to hunt, fish, farm, trap, ranch, grow food, practice what the proposal describes as diligent animal husbandry and participate in wildlife management.
Supporters say the amendment is intended to recognize the importance of those activities to Oregon families, rural communities, the state’s economy and its natural-resource heritage.
Because the proposal would amend the Oregon Constitution rather than simply change a state statute, it would ultimately require approval from Oregon voters if it qualifies for the ballot.
What Happens Next?
Referral to the Oregon Attorney General begins the process of developing the official ballot title that voters would see if the initiative eventually qualifies for an election.
The ballot-title process is an important early stage because it provides voters with an official description of what the proposed measure would do. Oregon’s initiative process also provides opportunities for review and challenges to ballot-title language before petitioners can proceed with the larger signature-gathering effort.
Once that process is completed and petitioners are cleared to circulate the initiative, supporters face the considerably larger task of collecting enough valid signatures from registered Oregon voters to qualify the constitutional amendment for the statewide ballot.
Those signatures must be submitted and verified under state election requirements. Only after the necessary number of valid signatures and other requirements are satisfied can an initiative be certified to appear before voters.
The current action by the Secretary of State therefore represents an early procedural milestone rather than approval of the proposal or confirmation that it will appear on the ballot.
Looking Toward 2028
Supporters are aiming for the Nov. 7, 2028 general election.
If IP 25 successfully completes the initiative process, Oregon voters would have the final say on whether the proposed protections should be added to the state constitution.
Until then, the Oregon Freedom Amendment will continue through the state’s ballot-title, petition and signature-verification process.
The proposal is one of the issues that could eventually come before Oregon voters in 2028, but its appearance on the ballot will depend on whether supporters successfully complete each of the remaining requirements under Oregon election law.
Reach reporter Jared Pearson at [email protected].