OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A federal judge has cleared the way for a trial in a lawsuit challenging a Nebraska law that limits funeral protests.

Members of Topeka, Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church are challenging Nebraska’s funeral picketing law, which requires protesters to stand 500 feet from a funeral service. Westboro protests at funerals around the country, contending that U.S. soldiers and others are being struck down by God for defending a nation that tolerates homosexuality.

U.S. District Court Judge Laurie Smith Camp on Thursday denied Westboro’s motion for summary judgment. She says several issues must be resolved at trial, such as whether the law serves an important governmental interest without violating free speech rights.