The Northfield News reports that the city council in that community decided last week to direct the city’s human rights department to draft an ordinance to create a domestic partner registry in the city.

Councilor Betsey Buckheit is spearheading the effort, Northfield News reports:

Buckheit says a domestic partnership registry ordinance has nothing to do with marriage for same-sex couples. She calls registries a civil rights issue, noting that while religious organizations can make their own determinations about rights for same-sex couples, governmental entities must not discriminate.

“It’s what we can do at the local level to guarantee rights for everyone,” she said.

About 20 Minnesota cities have passed the ordinances so far.