LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — An effort to repeal the death penalty in Nebraska has cleared another critical vote in the Legislature.

Lawmakers voted 30-16 on Friday to advance the repeal measure through the second of three required votes, despite a filibuster led by death-penalty supporters.

One final vote is required before it goes to Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts, a death penalty proponent who has promised a veto. If the current support holds, the bill will have a veto-proof majority.

Some lawmakers have argued that Nebraska should abolish capital punishment because it has only wasted money and created a false promise for victims’ families. The state hasn’t executed anyone since 1997, and some prisoners have been on death row for decades.