Domestic partnership benefits were extended to city employees in the 1990's.

He does support letting states decide on civil unions and partnership benefits.

Lawrence is the only jurisdiction in Kansas to offer domestic partnership benefits.

We were the first to offer domestic partnership benefits.

Some council members see the bill as an extension of a 1998 law that gave domestic partnership benefits to city employees.

"This is an important day for civil rights, because it gives us partnership benefits without asking us to give up marriage," he said.

Rather, it would document the relationship, providing the paper work to claim domestic partnership benefits from employers.