LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska death penalty supporters have expanded the coalition that is seeking to place the issue on the 2016 general election ballot.
The group Nebraskans for the Death Penalty added Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert and the Nebraska County Attorneys Association to its coalition. It also formally announced Friday that state Sen. Beau McCoy of Omaha and State Treasurer Don Stenberg, a former attorney general, will serve as campaign co-chairs.
The group formed after Nebraska lawmakers voted to repeal capital punishment over Gov. Pete Ricketts' veto. Organizers hope to gather enough signatures to let voters decide whether to keep the punishment.
Stenberg was attorney general during Nebraska's last execution in 1997. The state executed three inmates during his tenure using the electric chair, which the Nebraska Supreme Court has since declared unconstitutional.
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