HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Pennsylvania lawmakers have advanced a bill that would move the state’s presidential primary up the political calendar.

The bill proposed by State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia) passed the House State Government Committee by a 13-12 vote, with all Republicans and one Democrat voting against the move.

Kenyatta’s legislation would move the primary from the last Tuesday of April to the first Tuesday of the month.

A separate bill to move the primary advanced in the Senate last month, however, that one would set the election date even earlier for March 19.

The bill, which lawmakers say is designed to avoid conflict with Passover, passed the State Senate 45-2.