Nebraska Legislature passes transgender sports bill

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The Nebraska Legislature gave final approval Wednesday night to a bill restricting which sports teams transgender athletes can play on.

Senators voted 33-16 to approve Legislative Bill 89, called the Stand With Women Act.

The legislation will bar transgender athletes from competing on sports teams that don’t correspond to their sex assigned at birth.

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The first few senators during debate spoke in opposition of the bill, including Sen. John Frederickson of Omaha.

“I believe we want to protect women,” he said. “I think we also know this is not the way to do it.”

Sen. George Dungan also weighed in on the opposition, saying there are holes in the legislation.

“What I think has gone unanswered at certain times by the proponents of this bill is how it’s supposed to work,” he said. “A simple read of the pages shows it doesn’t make any sense at all.”

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But then Sen. Loren Lippencott spoke in favor of the measure, saying this isn’t about exclusion.

“Some may argue this bill excludes certain efforts,” he said. “But LB 89 is not about shutting doors; it’s about opening the right ones.”

The Nebraska School Activities Association has said it will fully support whatever decision the governor and state lawmakers make on this issue.

The legislation now heads to the desk of Gov. Jim Pillen, who has been pushing for this type of law for years.

“This legislation achieves a key goal — protecting girls and women’s sports,” Pillen said in a statement after the vote. “It’s just common sense that girls shouldn’t have to compete against biological boys. This legislative win will lead to many more victories for Nebraska’s female athletes, as we ensure a level and fair playing field for all girls who compete. I look forward to signing it into law.”