THE LIFE ACT: COUNTER TO IP28
Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Ecology Act
The purpose of this proposed measure would be to counter such ideological driven initiatives as being pushed by organizations such as PEACE or any other such coalitions that perpetuate ideological and often irrational measures that cause far more problems for the very things they claim to be the solutions for, and often are poorly thought out.
Purpose and Findings
The People of the State of Oregon find and declare:
Oregon’s agricultural, ranching, fishing, hunting, and wildlife management industries are lawful, essential, and provide jobs, food security, conservation funding, and economic stability.
Current Oregon animal cruelty statutes include exemptions that allow lawful agricultural, scientific, veterinary, pest control, and wildlife management practices.
Removing or restricting these exemptions would create significant economic disruption, threaten food security, harm rural communities, and conflict with federal law.
Preserving these exemptions ensures constitutional compliance, public safety, and continuity of Oregon’s food and natural resource systems.
Intent: This Act affirms and protects lawful industries, agriculture, hunting, fishing, research, and wildlife management practices, and ensures food security, economic stability, and ecological stewardship.
Section 1 – Preservation of Lawful Animal Use Exemptions
All current statutory exemptions related to the following shall remain lawful and enforceable:
Animal agriculture and livestock production, including breeding, slaughter, and food processing.
Hunting, fishing, and trapping conducted in accordance with Oregon law.
Wildlife population management and habitat conservation activities.
Veterinary care, husbandry, and medical interventions for animals.
Pest control practices conducted under federal or state law.
Scientific and medical research involving animals conducted in compliance with federal or state law.
No state agency, department, or legislative body may eliminate or restrict these exemptions except through a two-thirds vote of the Oregon Legislature.
Section 2 – Protection of Livelihoods and Property Rights
Oregon shall recognize and protect the economic viability of all persons engaged in lawful agriculture, ranching, fishing, hunting, wildlife management, and research.
No regulation or law shall deprive individuals or businesses of the ability to use property for these lawful purposes without just compensation consistent with the Oregon Constitution and the U.S. Constitution.
All state regulations shall respect the balance between animal welfare and human economic rights and livelihood.
Section 3 – Food Security Clause
Animal-based and plant-based food production is essential to Oregon’s nutritional security and economic stability.
No law shall intentionally reduce Oregon’s capacity to produce or distribute food without:
A comprehensive economic and public health study;
Public input through the legislative process;
A two-thirds legislative supermajority approval.
The State shall support and encourage sustainable, science-based agricultural and food production practices.
Section 4 – Wildlife and Ecology Authority
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) shall retain authority to manage wildlife populations and ecosystems, including through regulated hunting, fishing, population control, and habitat restoration.
Funds generated through hunting, fishing, and wildlife programs shall continue to support conservation, habitat management, and ecological research.
No prohibition or restriction shall prevent ODFW from fulfilling its statutory duties to manage and conserve wildlife in Oregon.
Section 5 – Scientific Research Protection
Research and experimentation involving animals conducted in compliance with federal and state law shall remain lawful.
This includes biomedical research, veterinary studies, and educational programs.
Nothing in this Act shall prevent Oregon institutions from conducting scientific research essential to human and animal health.
Section 6 – Severability and Legal Enforcement
If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
This Act shall not be construed to override federal law, but shall protect Oregon industries and citizens within the bounds of state law.
Any regulatory or administrative action inconsistent with this Act shall be null and void unless explicitly authorized by law.
Section 7 – Ballot Title and Voter Summary
Ballot Title: LIFE Act – Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Ecology Act
Voter Summary (≤150 words):
The LIFE Act protects Oregon’s farms, ranches, fisheries, and wildlife programs. It preserves current laws that allow hunting, fishing, animal agriculture, and scientific research, ensuring Oregonians can continue to produce and access food, manage wildlife, and conduct research.
The Act prevents the state from eliminating exemptions in animal cruelty laws that are necessary for these industries, protects property rights, safeguards livelihoods, and maintains ecological conservation funding. By passing the LIFE Act, voters affirm Oregon’s economic stability, food security, and responsible wildlife management while respecting lawful animal use.
Section 8 – Contrast With PEACE/IP28 and Voter Messaging
A. Key Contrasts
Protecting Jobs vs. Job Loss
LIFE: Safeguards thousands of Oregon jobs in agriculture, fisheries, hunting, and research.
PEACE: Would criminalize core practices, causing massive displacement in rural communities.
Food Security vs. Food Risk
LIFE: Ensures continued production of nutritious food for all Oregonians.
PEACE: Would restrict access to meat, dairy, and fish, increasing reliance on alternatives and risking shortages.
Legal Clarity vs. Ideological Overreach
LIFE: Maintains exemptions and preserves constitutional property and economic rights.
PEACE: Expands criminal liability to ordinary farming, research, and hunting practices.
Ecological Management vs. Restrictive Moralism
LIFE: Supports science-based wildlife management and conservation.
PEACE: Would eliminate hunting/fishing exemptions, undermining habitat and population control programs.
Choice and Freedom vs. Mandatory Compliance
LIFE: Protects Oregon citizens’ right to choose dietary, occupational, and research practices within the law.
PEACE: Imposes a single ideological approach to diet and animal use, restricting personal and professional freedom.
B. Voter Messaging & Slogans
Core Slogan:“LIFE Protects Oregon: Jobs, Food, and Freedom”
Secondary Slogans:
“Keep Oregon Feeding Oregonians”
“Protect Our Farms, Protect Our Future”
“Science, Food, and Wildlife, Not Ideology”
“Choice and Livelihood Over Extremes”
Messaging Themes:
Economic Security: Highlight the number of jobs and livelihoods at stake.
Food Access: Emphasize that every Oregonian relies on continued food production.
Rural-Urban Connection: Show how urban consumers rely on rural producers.
Constitutional Stability: Stress protection of property rights and adherence to law.
Practical Conservation: Demonstrate that wildlife management relies on regulated hunting/fishing.
C. Communication Framing
Positive vs. Negative: Emphasize LIFE as pro-people, pro-food, pro-science, instead of attacking PEACE personally.
Use clear, memorable language: “Jobs, Food, Freedom” is easy to remember and recites the core value proposition.
Visual branding: Use images of farms, wildlife, research labs, and families — showing human and ecological balance.
Contrast with PEACE tactically: Frame PEACE as “claiming to be well-intentioned, but impractical and disruptive,” while LIFE offers practical protection.
Suggestions for LIFE Act Social Media & Ad Messaging
Core Slogan
“LIFE Protects Oregon: Jobs, Food, and Freedom”
Secondary Slogans / Hashtags
#ProtectOregonLIFE
#JobsFoodFreedom
#SustainableOregon
#FarmsAndWildlife
#PracticalConservation
Key Messaging Pillars
Economic Security
Protect jobs in farming, ranching, fisheries, hunting, and research.
Maintain Oregon’s economic stability and rural communities.
Visuals: Farmers, tractors, rural towns, market scenes.
Example Post: “From Oregon farms to your table, the LIFE Act ensures thousands of jobs stay protected. #JobsFoodFreedom #ProtectOregonLIFE”
Food Security
Ensure continued production of nutritious, affordable food.
Maintain local food supply and distribution networks.
Visuals: Fresh produce, meat, dairy, fish, markets.
Example Post:“Oregon grows it, Oregon eats it. The LIFE Act keeps our food system strong and local. #FarmsAndWildlife #ProtectOregonLIFE”
Wildlife & Conservation
Protect science-based wildlife management and habitat programs.
Funds from hunting and fishing continue supporting conservation.
Visuals: Rivers, forests, wildlife, ODFW activities.
Example Post:“Healthy wildlife needs balanced management. The LIFE Act protects Oregon’s ecosystems. #SustainableOregon #PracticalConservation”
Scientific Freedom
Preserve lawful biomedical and veterinary research.
Ensure innovations in medicine, animal health, and food safety continue.
Visuals: Labs, scientists, research farms.
Example Post: “Innovation matters. The LIFE Act protects research that keeps Oregon healthy and safe. #JobsFoodFreedom #ProtectOregonLIFE”
Choice & Freedom
Protect Oregonians’ right to choose their diet and livelihood.
Defend property rights and lawful practices.
Visuals: Families, farmers, markets, hunters/fishers.
Example Post: “Choice matters. The LIFE Act keeps Oregonians free to work, eat, and live responsibly. #JobsFoodFreedom #ProtectOregonLIFE”
Contrast Messaging vs. PEACE/IP28
Positive Framing: LIFE = pro-people, pro-food, pro-science.
Contrast Points:
LIFE preserves jobs; PEACE risks massive job loss.
LIFE secures food; PEACE restricts access to meat, dairy, and fish.
LIFE protects lawful practices; PEACE imposes extreme restrictions.
Example Comparison Post:“LIFE = Jobs, Food, and Freedom. PEACE = Ideological restrictions that threaten Oregon families. #ProtectOregonLIFE #JobsFoodFreedom”
Ad Copy Examples (30–60 sec spots)
TV / Video / Digital Ad Concept:
Opening: Aerial shots of Oregon farmland, rivers, and coastal fisheries.
Voiceover: “Oregon feeds itself. Oregon supports thousands of jobs. Oregon protects wildlife and scientific innovation. The LIFE Act preserves our farms, our food, and our freedom — practical protection for Oregonians today and tomorrow.”
Closing: Text overlay — “Vote YES on the LIFE Act – Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Ecology. #ProtectOregonLIFE”
Print / Online Ads:
Visual: Same as the horizontal LIFE Act illustration.
Headline: “LIFE Protects Oregon: Jobs, Food, Freedom”
Body Copy: “Vote YES on the LIFE Act to safeguard Oregon’s farms, fisheries, wildlife programs, and scientific research. Keep our food systems strong, our jobs secure, and our ecosystems thriving.”
Call to Action: “Learn more: [LIFEActOregon.org]” (Example)
Suggested Social Media Strategy
Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok, LinkedIn (agriculture/science audiences)
Content Mix:
40% Visual storytelling (farms, wildlife, food)
30% Data-driven posts (jobs, economic stats)
20% Contrast posts vs. PEACE/IP28
10% Calls-to-action / volunteer/donation outreach
This isn't just about slogans. It's about real concerns for the welfare of this State, its actual citizens, and the future of both. This also takes a stand against the nonsense those trying to push IP28 often claim which is also ideological garbage.
They are those that will state:
Speciesism - the tendency to treat other animals as intrinsically less valuable than ourselves - just a philosophical construct or an actual psychological phenomenon? It’s a real thing say psychologists and seems rooted in the same habits of mind as racism, sexism and homophobia.
Reality Check:
Philosophical origins, not scientific
Speciesism labels any preference for one's own species as moral bias, akin to arbitrary prejudice. Singer's argument in Animal Liberation (1975) rests on utilitarian ethics, claiming human moral consideration should extend equally based on capacity for suffering, without rigorous psychological data. No DSM-recognized disorder or validated psychometric scale measures "speciesism" as innate cognition; it's advocacy rhetoric, not clinical psychology.
No equivalence to racism or sexism
Racism and sexism involve demonstrable ingroup/outgroup biases rooted in evolutionarily adaptive kin selection and social categorization, with neural correlates (e.g., amygdala activation in fMRI studies for racial outgroups). These are measurable via implicit association tests (IAT) with effect sizes around d=0.5–0.7. Speciesism lacks such tools; humans prioritizing fellow humans over animals aligns with observed behaviors across cultures and species (e.g., chimpanzees favor conspecifics), not prejudice but biological normativity. Equating them conflates descriptive ethics with pathology.
Psychological reality check
If "rooted in the same habits of mind," speciesism should predict behavioral inconsistencies, yet cross-cultural surveys (e.g., World Values Survey) show near-universal human-animal hierarchies: people value human lives orders of magnitude more (e.g., sacrificing one human vs. millions of insects). This reflects adaptive reciprocity and empathy gradients (closer kin first), not bias. Claims of psychological reality often cite empathy studies (e.g., Batson's work), but these confirm species-typical limits, not moral failing. True prejudice requires power imbalances within a group; animals lack agency for reciprocal ethics.
Evolutionary grounding
Human moral psychology evolved for conspecific cooperation (e.g., reciprocal altruism per Trivers, 1971), not interspecies equity. Treating animals as lesser isn't "tendency" but default: omnivory, pet-keeping, and conservation prioritize human utility. Dismissing this as "speciesism" ignores biology; it's like calling parental favoritism "familism." Philosophers debate it; psychologists describe it as norm, not disorder.
We must fight this and stay grounded in Reality!
We must remain diligent in opposing these distortions and false equivalencies that misuse psychological science to advance ideological agendas, preserving clear distinctions between evolved human norms and unfounded moral pathologies.
