Nebraska governor signs law protecting women's sports

Gov. Jim Pillen signed a bill Wednesday keeping men out of women’s sports in the state, joining more than two dozen states with similar protections. Pillen appeared alongside female athlete advocates Riley Gaines, Payton McNabb, Jordy Bahl, and Rebekah Allick while signing the Stand With Women Act. Pillen also signed measures modernizing in-state manufacturing and expanding family investment in children’s education, according to a Wednesday statement.

Nebraska lawmakers barely passed the reformed measure last week, after removing language that barred transgender identifying youth from bathrooms and locker rooms reserved for the opposite sex. It’s a great day for women, especially those involved in sports, state GOP Sen. Bob Andersen said. Legislators still have work to do protecting women’s bathrooms and locker rooms, he added.

Why was the bathroom and locker room language removed? Lawmakers removed the sections on bathrooms and locker rooms to win over the support necessary for the sports ban to advance. The ACLU of Nebraska aggressively opposed the bill’s passage, alleging that the law undermined the dignity of transgender identifying Nebraskans. The group pointed to a letter signed by nearly 100 current and former faith leaders opposing the law’s passage. Scripture calls believers to love their neighbors, not alienate them with legislation, according to Omaha Rev. Debra McKnight.

Dig deeper: Read Liz Lykins’ report on women's sports advocates suing Colorado.