(The Lion) — The Nebraska unicameral Legislature advanced a bill this week that would codify a ban on male transgender athletes competing in girls’ interscholastic sports, WOWT reports.

The legislation passed 33-15 along party lines, receiving the two-thirds majority necessary to advance to a final round of voting in the coming weeks.

Gov. Jim Pillen praised lawmakers for the progress and looks forward to eventually signing it into law.

“The advancement of this legislation is a victory,” the Republican said in a statement. “It achieves a key objective – making sure that girls and women are treated fairly when it comes to sports competition. We must do everything we can to protect women and women’s sports. I thank Senator Kauth for championing this legislation and I applaud the athletes and other supporters who advocated for LB89 and the creation of a level playing field.”

Pillen asked Sen. Kathleen Kauth, R-Omaha, to file the bill earlier this year.

“The stakes are too high,” Kauth wrote in a recent op-ed. “Each week we wait, another girl risks injury on the court, another woman risks losing her sense of security, and another child wonders why the rules aren’t the same for everyone. For the sake of Nebraska’s women and kids, we’ve got to get this bill across the finish line.”

Sen. Jared Storm, R-David City, said it’s about fairness, not exclusion.

“LB 89 is not about exclusion,” Storm told reporters. “I can imagine nothing more frustrating as a female athlete than working and training for years to become the best you can be, only to lose not because you train less or have bad technique or because your body works differently, but something that is entirely out of your control.”

The Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) already prevents males from competing in girls’ interscholastic sports; however, this legislation would make the change permanent.

In February, the NSAA altered its policy and banned transgender-identifying males from competing against girls; the change came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to withhold funding from states and athletic bodies that let male transgender athletes compete against girls.

State athletic bodies in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Virginia followed suit, as did the NCAA.

Over 30 states now prevent transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports.

NBC News released a poll last month that found 75% of Americans oppose transgender-identifying males in women’s sports, while 25% support it.