OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha state lawmaker and attorney has asked a federal court to put on hold his lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Nebraska’s mandatory state bar membership while both sides mull a Nebraska Supreme Court opinion in the matter.

State Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh, of Omaha, sued the association last year in federal court, saying that mandatory dues of more than $335 a year violate the constitutional rights of those lawyers who object to some of the money being used for political activities like lobbying lawmakers.

On Friday, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled in a separate petition that Nebraska lawyers must still pay annual bar dues to remain in good standing. But the court limited those dues to only activities necessary to regulate the legal profession — like maintaining records.