Recordpub.com - KSU benefits may include domestic partnerships

By Dave O'Brien

Record-Courier staff writer

A new contract for Kent State University faculty comes up for review this year, and an early draft released Wednesday includes a clause on health benefits extended to domestic partnerships for faculty members in a same-sex or opposite-sex relationship.

University spokesman Ron Kirksey confirmed Wednesday the domestic partnership clause is "part of" the new contract, though talks on the contract remain informal at this time.

If ratified in its current form, the contract would be a one-year extension of the current contract between the university and the KSU chapter of the American Association of University Professors, starting Aug. 23 and continuing through Aug. 23, 2009.

According to a draft of the proposal, domestic partners of the same or opposite sex of a member of the AAUP bargaining unit "may be covered for all benefits in those instances where the partner is not eligible for or already covered by another employer. These benefits will include medical, dental, life, personal accident insurance, and tuition remission at the same contribution level applicable to a spouse."

All domestic partner benefits will be subject to IRS rules, and a domestic partner must share a permanent residence with the bargaining member; have been in a relationship for at least six months; intend to remain in the relationship indefinitely; not currently married or legally separated from another person; not related by blood so as to be disqualified from marriage in Ohio; and financially independent of their significant other.

Kirksey said a verbal offer was made in February, but any formal agreement is "still a ways away."

The proposal also clearly states that any agreement accepted by both parties would still have to be ratified by the KSU Board of Trustees, the AAUP and the KSU Foundation Board of Trustees.

Domestic partners applying for benefits also would be required to sign an "Affidavit of Domestic Partnership," according to the draft document, which also discusses a 3 percent raise in faculty salaries and no change in costs to faculty for employee healthcare contributions.

KSU's Faculty Senate unanimously approved a resolution on Feb. 13, 2006 to extend healthcare benefits to domestic partners under the university's health plan. Faculty senators said at the time there was no law in the state preventing such a change, and said such a extension would be in keeping with the university's non-discrimination policies.

University of Akron spokesman Ken Torisky said that university "does not currently offer" benefits to domestic partners of the same or opposite sex. Youngstown State University does offer domestic partner benefits to partners of the same sex, spokesman Ron Cole said, adding that the university first chose to do so in 2004.

6.	Posted by AMT April 3, 2008
	This domestic partnership benefit proposal is blatantly unconstitutional according to the Ohio Constitution: Article 15, section 11 Only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this state and its political subdivisions. This state and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance or effect of marriage. The proposal contradicts itself by requiring the domestic partner be "not related by blood so as to be disqualified from marriage in Ohio", while at the same time requiring a relationship that is disqualified from marriage in Ohio. Of course, Strickland will refuse to uphold the constitution, despite his oath, so there is nothing we can do about it until the next election.

5.	Posted by BLH April 3, 2008
	Average Joe and do whats right I could not agree more that your family and girlfriend all should be covered. So if that is what you want vote for the Dem in 2008. This should be a non-issue because all in this country should be covered already. We spend more of our GDP on healthcare than any industrialized country in the world yet we have 45 million people with no coverage. We can do better and do whats right it seems to me the right thing is to give everyone in this country access to basic health care; it is compassionate and the Christian thing to do. I have worked for two Fortune 300 companies in the last 15 years and both now offer domestic partner benefits to both same sex and opposite sex partners and many large companies do; it is simply a matter of offering a competitive benefits package to get the best talent to work for you.

3.	Posted by DoWhatsRight April 3, 2008
	I plan to ask our state to cut the funding to Kent State University if they intend to spend my tax money on this crap. I insist that they pay for the health insurance of my brother, sister, mother and father that live with me. They are my family, and meet the same criteria as a homosexual partner except the sex. Therefore we can say KSU is paying the health insurance so homosexuals can have sex with their partners. I hope someone sues KSU and makes them pay. I ask everyone to call your state representative and have your tax dollars with held. This is a state university. Why don't they use the money for something usefull to all students like lowering the tuition and room and board.