A group seeking domestic partner rights is asking the Topeka city council to create a registry that would allow unmarried couples to legally acknowledge their relationships. Such a registry would also make it easier for unmarried partners to get health care and other benefits. The Topeka chapter of the Kansas Equality Coalition wants the council to establish the registry by the end of the year. Coalition member Thomas Witt makes the case.
Topeka Councilman Andrew Gray says he'll bring the ordinance before the council next week. He says a registry is a way to show that Topeka is a tolerant city. A similar registry was enacted by the city of Lawrence in 2007.