In 1988, Ashford, Jerry Chizek, and Bernice Labedz sponsored legislation that would require all video-cassettes marketed to minors to be given a rating label. The bill was created in response to complaints that
Faces of Death and other graphic movies lacked warning labels. In 1990, Ashford introduced an amendment that would allow the state legislature to confirm members of the appellate court, but it failed with twenty-one to eight voting against it. On April 3, 1991, he voted in favor of legislation altering Nebraska's method of
electoral college allotment from winner-take-all to being distributed to the statewide winner and the winner of each congressional district. The legislation was later signed into law by Governor
Ben Nelson.
Abortion In 1992, a legal challenge was brought against Pennsylvania's
abortion laws. Thirteen governors, twelve lieutenant governors, seventeen attorneys general, nine hundred ninety-five state legislators signed a
friend of the court brief to support a woman's right to get an abortion. Ashford and seven other Nebraskan senators signed the brief. In 2010, he proposed an amendment to an abortion bill to allow illegal immigrants to receive state-funded prenatal care. He cited reports showing the illegal immigrants were getting abortions as they lacked Medicaid coverage.
Affordable Care Act On September 18, 2014, Ashford debated incumbent representative Lee Terry and during the debate he stated that he would have voted against the
Affordable Care Act as it lacked bipartisan support. Ashford later criticized Don Bacon after he voted for a partial repeal of the Affordable Care Act. However, on April 27, the state legislature voted twenty-three to nineteen, with seven not voting, against the legislation with Ashford voting in favor. In 1992, he sponsored legislation created by Ernie Chambers to repeal the death penalty in Nebraska, but later withdrew his sponsorship.
Same-sex marriage Ashford supported same-sex marriage. Before
Obergefell v. Hodges he attempted to reach a middle ground on Nebraska's
same-sex marriage ban by allowing
civil unions. He praised the
Supreme Court of the United States for its ruling in
Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex couples had the right to marry.
Congressional salaries In 2014, Ashford and
Dave Loebsack introduced the Congressional Halt in Pay Increases and Cut Congressional Pay Act would decrease congressional salaries by ten percent and prohibit automatic salary increases. He,
Gwen Graham,
Scott Peters, and
Ami Bera sponsored legislation that would withhold congressional salaries if the
Department of Homeland Security shut down due to a lack of funding.
Crime In 1987, Ashford and
Carol McBride Pirsch co-sponsored legislation that would force shoplifters to pay up to $150 to their victims. On April 15, Ernie Chambers attempted to kill the bill, but the legislature voted twenty-two to twelve against killing the bill. On April 29, the legislature voted unanimously with twenty-six in favor of the bill as Chambers was absent. On May 20, the legislature voted thirty-one to thirteen in favor of the legislation during the second round vote. Chambers made another motion to kill the bill, but the legislature voted twenty-eight to sixteen against his motion.
Development Ashford introduced legislation, with Senator
Deb Fischer's sponsorship, to allow a public-private partnership to build a veterans medical facility in Omaha, Nebraska, with $56 million provided by the
Department of Veterans Affairs and $80 million provided by private donors. The legislation was signed into law by President
Barack Obama on December 17, 2016. In 1989, he sponsored legislation to transition ownership of
Joslyn Castle from the Omaha Public School District to the
Nebraska State Historical Society. On February 5, 1990, the state legislature unanimously approved the legislation during the first round vote with twenty-six in favor. In 2015, he voted to approve the
Keystone Pipeline.
Gun control On March 20, 1989, Ashford proposed an amendment to a drug penalty bill that would ban semi-automatic weapons, but Speaker
Bill Barrett ruled that his proposed amendment was not germane. Ashford proposed another amendment that would ban the sale and manufacture of semi-automatic weapons a Class II felony with a punishment of one to fifty years in prison. However, Barrett ruled that the amendment was not germane and an attempt by Ashford to overrule his decision was defeated by a vote of twenty-six to fourteen. In 1992, he introduced legislation that would prohibit the possession of a gun at a school or youth center with a first offense being a Class IV felony with a fine up to $10,000 and up to five years in prison and more violations being a Class II felony with up to twenty years in prison. He introduced legislation that would make it a misdemeanor offense to store a gun within the reach of a child under the age of sixteen. However, the Judiciary Committee voted seven to one against the bill and when the bill was brought to the assembly on February 19, 1993, to bypass the Judiciary Committee it failed to receive the thirty votes needed. In 2007, Chambers proposed another bill repealing the death penalty and on March 20, the state legislature voted twenty-five to twenty-four against, with Ashford voting in favor. The execution process for
Carey Dean Moore was restarted one week before the vote and his execution in 2018 was the first in the state since 1997. On February 22, 2018, Ashford stated that he would vote in favor of a federal ban on assault weapons.
Nebraska Brady Bill In 1989, Ashford introduced a bill that would require people attempting to purchase
handguns to fill out forms asking for their criminal record and mental health problems and institute a seven-day waiting period. On February 9, he announced that he would ask the state legislature to place a constitutional amendment onto the 1990 general election ballot that would repeal the 1989 right to bear arms ballot initiative as the 1989 ballot initiative would render his gun control legislation unconstitutional. The Judiciary committee voted five to two in favor of advancing the bill and the constitutional amendment although Ernie Chambers filed a motion to kill the bill which failed with five to two against. From January 15 to 17, 1990,
National Research Corporation conducted a poll of 450 Nebraskans on their opinion of Ashford's handgun control legislation. On January 23,
The Lincoln Star published the poll which showed with a 4.6% margin of error that 87% approved, 11% disapproved, and 2% had no opinion. On party lines 88% of Republicans, 87% of Democrats, and 73% of independents approved and the congressional districts ranged from 78% approval in the
3rd congressional district, 90% in the
1st congressional district, and 91% in the
2nd congressional district. In January 1990, Ashford campaigned in Wisconsin against a right to bear arms amendment and criticized Nebraska's 1989 ballot initiative at a Madison, Wisconsin news conference. Attorney General Robert M. Spire, Representative
Peter Hoagland, and
Handgun Control, Inc. vice-chair
Sarah Brady, who referred to the legislation as the "Nebraska
Brady Bill", supported the legislation. On March 8, a compromise amendment reducing the waiting period to two days, was approved with twenty-five to ten in favor. However, during first round voting later that day the state legislature voted twenty-one to twenty-one, with seven members not voting, failing to reach the twenty-five votes needed. In 1991, Ashford reintroduced legislation that would impose a two-day waiting period for handgun purchases. On February 5, the Judiciary committee voted five to one in favor of advancing the bill. He considered proposing an amendment to his bill to limit its effects to only
Douglas,
Lancaster, and
Sarpy counties. On March 28, Jerry Chizek proposed an amendment, that was approved with twenty-six to sixteen in favor, which would require an annual permit from local law enforcement. On April 8, Ashford asked the state legislature to defer debate on his bill until May 8 and his request was accepted with thirty voting unanimously in favor. On May 16, the state legislature voted thirty-one to five in favor of a compromised bill during first round voting. The new bill had a two-day waiting period, the certificates to purchase handguns would be valid for three years rather than one, and the certificates could only be denied based on a person's criminal and mental history and their immigration status. On June 5, the state legislature voted thirty-four to eleven in favor of the bill during the second round vote.
Immigration In 2008, legislation was proposed on the behalf of Governor
Dave Heineman and Attorney General
Jon Bruning that would have required local and state agencies to verify the immigration status of people seeking benefits. The Judiciary committee voted five to one in favor of killing the bill and Ashford later referred to the legislation as "partisan communications". Ashford later criticized Republicans for spreading pamphlets and robocalls that attacked
Steve Lathrop for abstaining from the Judiciary committee vote. In 2009, he introduced legislation to prohibit businesses from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants and would require employers to confirm employees using
E-Verify after December 31, 2010. ==Electoral history==