The Northfield City Council has approved a domestic-partner-registry ordinance, making it the 19th city in the state to set up such an arrangement for two unmarried adults in a relationship.
Northfield Patch reports there was no discussion before the council voted 6-1 Tuesday to approve the measure.
Council Member Rhonda Pownell voted no. Patch says she had this to say last month on the issue:
"I do believe this is not a local issue. ... It's a known state and national level issue. I do believe that it is important that all people — regardless of life choices, whatever your life choice is — should feel respected in our community, that our community should be safe, (and that) it should be healthy, regardless of how someone chooses to live their life."
Among the things covered by the ordinance are: Domestic partners can receive family rates for city fees on recreational programs and general services. And in health-care facilities, a patient's domestic partner, the children of the patient's domestic partner, or the domestic partner of the patient's parent or child can visit the patient.