The Virginia House of Delegates voted in favor of a bill establishing a sports authority to fund and manage a proposed arena for the Washington Capitals and Wizards in Alexandria, but the legislation faces an uphill battle in the state Senate.

The bill passed 59-40 in a bipartisan House vote on Tuesday. While both chambers in the state legislature have narrow Democratic control, Democratic leaders in the state Senate have spoken out against the proposal in recent days. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) has touted the arena as a major agenda item for this session and expressed optimism after the vote passed on Tuesday, ahead of the legislature’s crossover deadline.