Lawrence is one step closer to becoming the first city in Kansas to officially recognize same sex couples. Last night city commissioners voted 4 to 1 to move forward with figuring out how to implement a registry. 27 News Reporter Kia Carter talked with the city's legal services about what this registry would mean.

The now empty city commission room was full of life Tuesday night as all but one commissioner voted that city staff look into putting together a domestic partnership registry.

"Commissioners said they had received a lot of public input and they were grateful for it. They said it was, for some of them, a difficult decision and for others it was not a difficult decision," says Toni Wheeler, Lawrence Legal Services Director.

"We wrote ordinance as minimal as possible so we got the least amount of opposition," says Maggie Childs, KS Equality Coalition, Lawrence Chair

That tactic seems to have worked. In June commissioners will vote on whether to make the domestic partnership registry legal. Being on the registry wouldn't give couples additional rights but it would allow employers to do so if they choose.

"More than half of Fortune 500 companies offer health insurance to domestic partners of employees. Some of them make it easy to sign up but other companies want something like a registry," says Childs.

"If a company wants to on their own extend benefits because they are on this list then they can, but this ordinance in no way makes that mandatory," says Wheeler.

Those who could register include gay or straight couples, they must live in Lawrence, be 18 years of age and can show they are in a committed relationship, residing together and both contributing to the household income.

"Sometimes there’s a terrible time when you need this kind of evidence," says Childs.

She says the latest vote has her convinced a registry will be approved very soon.

Attorney general Paul Morrison says a registry in Lawrence wouldn't violate any state laws concerning same sex marriage. The city commission will vote on the ordinance June 12th and 19th. If approved, it will go into affect August 1st.