House Bill 2728, the bill to ban coyote-killing contests, has been approved by the Oregon House of Representatives but is stalled in a Senate committee. The bill needs to be scheduled by Friday for a hearing and "work session" or it will die.
Here's what you can do now:
Contact Senator Lee Beyer (Springfield), the chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment and ask him to "schedule the bill for a hearing and work session." If you are a constituent of his (meaning you live in his district), be sure to note that. To find out if he is your Senator, go here and enter your address.
Ask your state senator to ask Senator Beyer to schedule the bill for a hearing and work session. If you don't know who your senator is or how to contact your senator, go here and enter your address for more information. Key senators, in addition to Senator Beyer, include Kathleen Taylor (Southeast Portland and Milwaukie) and Michael Dembrow (East and Northeast Portland). Both have supported the bill in the past and are on the committee that currently controls the bill. They could perhaps convince Senator Beyer to schedule the bill for a hearing and work session. Also important is Senator Tim Knopp (Bend), a possible Republican vote for the bill. Finally, Senate President Peter Courtney (Salem) has the power to decide if this bill moves forward or not. If any of these sentators represent you, please contact them, tell them you are a constitutuent, and ask them to help advance this important, humane legislation.
You don't need to say anything special - just that you support the bill and want it to move forward. Additional talking points could include:
By making a game out of killing as many coyotes as possible, coyote-killing contests show a lack of appreciation, respect and compassion for wildlife.
Studies show that the indiscriminate killing of native carnivores such as coyotes will not protect farm animals and other wildlife. It can even lead to an increase in coyote numbers by disrupting stable family packs, causing more reproduction. A good article on this topic can be found here.
This not an urban vs. rural issue. This is about the state of Oregon and how Oregonians value and treat the public’s wildlife. Conscientious rural residents and ethical hunters agree that coyote-killing contests are cruel and unsporting.
Oregon’s wildlife belong to all of us, not just hunters and not just the people living closest to the wildlife.
More than nine killing contests have been held in Oregon in recent years, most recently in January 2021 in Southeastern Oregon, where more than 272 coyotes were killed over a two-day period for the chance to win thousands of dollars in cash and prizes (and 400+ coyotes were killed in a similar contest in January 2020).
Seven other states have already banned wildlife and/or coyote-killing contests: Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Vermont and Washington. These states have recognized that the contests are cruel and unethical and that they serve no useful purpose.
Thank you for helping us ban coyote-killing contests in Oregon.