02/21/2026
Buckle up folks this is a long one, and something that is very personal to me on multiple levels. I was hesitant about making a post, but after talking to folks I feel it is a necessity...
As a local small business owner, I strongly oppose Oregon’s Initiative Petition 28 (IP28) because of the serious consequences it would have for pest control operators, farmers, ranchers, and food producers across our state. This petition is quickly gaining support paving the way to add it to the November 2026 ballot.
IP28 would remove long-standing exemptions in Oregon law that currently allow regulated activities such as pest control, livestock production, hunting, fishing, commercial fishing, and animal husbandry. Without those protections, many routine and necessary practices involved in raising food, managing wildlife, and controlling disease-carrying pests would be treated as criminal offenses.
For local farmers and ranchers, that means the very animal husbandry practices required to produce meat, dairy, and other agricultural products could become legally vulnerable, threatening their ability to operate and sell their products, and stores would rely solely on imported products from other states, or even other countries. For licensed pest control professionals, such as me and my colleagues, it creates uncertainty around the essential work we do every day to protect homes, businesses, food facilities, and public health. Controlling rodent populations through trapping or other methods of control would be illegal.
These industries already operate under strict state and federal regulations. IP28 doesn’t improve oversight, it risks dismantling the legal framework that allows responsible professionals to do their jobs safely and lawfully.
This initiative would not just impact large corporations, it would directly affect small, family-owned businesses and local producers right here in our community essentially crippling them into non-existence and forcing them out of business.
I encourage everyone to read the full language of IP28, and if it goes to the ballot this November, consider voting NO to protect Oregon’s farmers, small businesses, and public health infrastructure.
