LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – It’s an issue that has stirred up some controversy around the country. More than 20 states across the U.S. have enacted laws restricting transgender athletes from competing according to their gender identity.

In Nebraska, a bill meant to put that idea into motion is continuing to be pushed forward in legislature. Tuesday marked progress for proponents after day one on the senate floor.

The controversial bill looks to keep transgender athletes out of women’s sports, and assign school bathrooms according to biological sex advanced in Nebraska legislature on Tuesday.

After four hours of debate, the “Stand with Women Act,” or LB-59 was introduced by State Sen. Kathleen Kouth on behalf of Gov. Jim Pillen.

Kouth was the first to speak on Tuesday, as debate for the bill began.

“This is not a political issue,” Kouth said. “This is an issue about common sense, adherence to biology, and established protections for women and girls.”

Others said that the bill seeks to balance both safety and thoughtfulness and looks to protect than exclude. Some lawmakers even shared their personal testimonies from community members in their districts.

“Schools are meant to be a safe space for learning,” said State Sen. Jared Storm. “My daughter shouldn’t have to wonder if another student who is a male is using the same restroom as her.”

Opponents called the bill a “non-issue,” distracting lawmakers from real progress.

“We don’t get to legislate someone’s identity just because some people feel uneasy,” said Sen. Megan Hunt. “Feeling uneasy is not harm. That’s not danger. That’s not the same thing. That’s not protection, it’s oppression.”

“The idea that we need to protect people from this smaller group of people that maybe don’t have a voice are, I’m sure, are the same arguments that echoed through these halls when we were talking about segregation,” said Sen. George Dungan.

Thirty three votes were needed to move the bill into the next round of debate, that is exactly how many it received, inching it one step closer to the governor’s desk.

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OMAHA, Neb. — A jury has found that the Nebraska Republican Party defamed one of its own candidates during an ugly legislative race five years ago and ordered it to pay her $500,000.

The Lancaster County jury sided with Janet Palmtag on Friday in her defamation lawsuit against the party. Palmtag sued after the Nebraska GOP sent out campaign mailers in October 2020 falsely claiming she had been charged with mishandling business trust accounts and had lost her Iowa real estate license.

At the time, Palmtag had been a lifelong Republican who was challenging fellow Republican and then-state Sen. Julie Slama of Peru, who had been appointed by and was backed by former Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts.

The race highlighted a growing schism within the state GOP, particularly between supporters of Ricketts and those of his predecessor, Republican Gov. Dave Heineman, who backed Palmtag in the legislative race.

The party’s mailers, sent to about 3,200 households of registered voters, included statements that Palmtag “broke the law and lost her real estate license,” and that her license had been “revoked.” The mailers also described Palmtag as “too irresponsible to keep her license.”

The mailers grossly mischaracterized a 2018 disciplinary case out of Iowa that found Palmtag’s real estate brokerage firm responsible for improperly transferring funds from an Iowa account to a Nebraska one. It was not Palmtag but another real estate agent who worked for the firm that had made the improper transaction. The company paid a $500 fine for the oversight.

Two years later, Palmtag canceled her Iowa real estate license, citing a lack of business for her firm there. The decision was not related to the disciplinary case, she said.

Palmtag demanded corrections to the mailers, but the state party refused. She sued after losing the race to Slama, seeking more than $4 million.

A judge initially dismissed Palmtag’s case, but upon her appeal, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled last year that a jury should decide whether she was defamed.

Palmtag, who left the Republican Party following the dispute, argued that the campaign attack had not only cost her the race, but had hurt her business and personal life. The jury agreed, awarding $500,000 — a rare win for a defamation case involving politicians who are often seen as public figures and fair game in political attacks.

Palmtag’s attorney, David Domina, has been a trial attorney in Nebraska for 50 years and said he has seen only a couple of defamation cases that led to significant awards for the person suing.

“I think it’s it’s about as scarce as hen’s teeth,” Domina said.

The Nebraska GOP has 30 days to decide whether it will appeal the jury’s finding, and another 10 days to file for a new trial. After that, “Janet could start collection procedures,” Domina said.

Nebraska GOP Chair Mary Jane Truemper, who was just elected to the post last month, said Monday that the state party is “in the investigative phase right now” of weighing whether it will appeal.