Colby Coash: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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==Nebraska Legislature==

Coash was elected in 2008 to represent the 27th Nebraska legislative district by just 79 votes, becoming the first Republican to hold the seat since 1972.<ref name="Pluhacek">Pluhacek, Zack. "Coash plans to keep serving, on or off the public stage." ''Lincoln Journal Star''. April 19, 2016.</ref> While in office, he focused on issues including child welfare, elder care, support for those with developmental disabilities, and corrections reform.<ref name="Pluhacek" />

===Death penalty===

As a state senator, Coash was also a notable proponent of legislation to end the [[Capital punishment in Nebraska|death penalty in Nebraska]]. He also collaborated with policymakers engaged in similar efforts in other states.<ref>Hammel, Paul. "Republican Coash continues push for repeal." ''Omaha World-Herald''. October 24, 2017.</ref>

In an interview published by the ''[[Washington Post]]'', Coash described attending a September 3, 1994 rally outside of the [[Nebraska State Penitentiary]] in the hours before the execution of [[Harold Lamont Otey|Willie Otey]]. A college freshman at the time, Coash said that "It was pretty ugly... It kind of changed my heart. I thought, 'I don't want to be a part of state-sponsored killing.'"<ref>Cogan, Marin. "Meet the red-state conservatives fighting to abolish the death penalty." ''Washington Post''. June 3, 2016.</ref>