This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Posted: 7:46 PM- Salt Lake City has sent a clear message to the Legislature: Domestic partners of all stripes should have the right to receive insurance benefits.
By a unanimous vote Tuesday, the City Council approved Mayor Ralph Becker's domestic-partnership registry, drawing a whoop and applause by a modest crowd at City Hall.
"It's a proud day for our city and it's a proud day for me to be a part of this important legislation," said Councilman J.T. Martin.
The move - it applies only to residents of Salt Lake City - comes one day after a bill was unleashed by Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, to kill the registry. Executives from Becker's office say SB267 also could wipe away the capital's adult-designee ordinance, which provides insurance benefits for city employees who are domestic partners.
Council members say they are in negotiations with Buttars and other state lawmakers to find some compromise. And late Tuesday, Becker, the former Democratic minority leader, pledged to go back to his old stomping grounds to stop Buttars' bill.
"I'll work it," the mayor said. "I'm not afraid to go up there."