“Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and State Sen. Barry DeKay introduced a bill to the state legislature that would prevent “lab-grown meat” from being manufactured, distributed or sold in Nebraska, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

“I know how important it is that we take steps to preserve our way of life, for the benefit of those who consume our products,” Gov. Pillen said in the release. “We feed the world and save the planet. To ensure that we can do that for generations to come, we need to take steps that … keep extremists from introducing unproven meat products from being sold to consumers.”

As proposed, the bill defines “cultivated food protein” and requires those products to be labeled “adulterated food products” under the Pure Food Act.

"There are clear, recognized benefits of meat as a source of protein. It is uncertain whether manufactured meat protein is a substitute for natural meat sources as essential dietary needs. I question elevating lab meat to a level of equivalency with real meat,“ Sen. DeKay said in the release.

“Until or unless there are clear labeling rules that adequately disclose that cultured meat is not real meat, its sale allows lab meats to unfairly benefit from industry investments in marketing and production. What’s more, this industry is supported by organizations that want to do away with animal production in Nebraska and the United States. This is part of the process that we’re going to go through to make sure our way of life, our livestock, and our product that we can put on the dinner table stays intact going forward."