Curators could see same-sex partner benefits resolution

The policy change would mostly involve medical and insurance coverage.

By Jared Grafman

Published March 12, 2010

A resolution for same-sex domestic partner benefits for MU employees will be presented to Chancellor Brady Deaton, Provost Brian Foster and UM system President Gary Forsee before possibly going to the UM system Board of Curators.

Faculty Council unanimously passed the resolution during its last regular meeting March 4.

Leah Cohn, professor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery and Diversity Enhancement Committee chairwoman, was involved in drafting the legislation.

"The resolution speaks for itself," Cohn said. "It says that we believe same-sex domestic partner benefits should be offered for a variety of reasons."

Board of Curators Chairwoman Judith Haggard said the financial consequences of offering employee benefits to same-sex domestic partners would be considered.

"The resolution will be brought to us at the appropriate time, and then we will look at it objectively," Haggard said. "We will have to be able to afford this to be able to do it. That would be a big concern at this time of economic crisis for the university."

The resolution only addresses benefits for same-sex domestic partnerships, leaving out domestic partners of opposite sexes. Faculty Council Chairwoman Leona Rubin led the discussion on the resolution.

"We discussed this extensively in council, and the feeling of the diversity committee was that opposite-sex domestic partners can receive benefits if they choose to marry, but same-sex domestic partners do not have that option," Rubin said.

Cohn said state laws prompted the decision to only include same-sex domestic partners.

"This is because the law prohibits same-sex marriage," Cohn said. "If the law allowed same-sex marriage, this would have simply been a moot point, and we would not have had needed to develop this resolution."

UM-St. Louis has already passed a similar resolution regarding the issue, and UM-Kansas City is looking at passing such a resolution, Cohn said.

According to the resolution, more than 300 institutions of higher education in the U.S., including 51 of 60 institutions in the Association of American Universities, have same-sex domestic partner benefits included as part of their employee benefits package.

Associate Vice President of Benefits Mike Paden explained the estimated cost of the policy and what it would affect. He said the university pays approximately 73 percent of premiums for employee benefits.

"The new policy would increase the number of lives covered by the UM system by about 2 percent," Paden said. "The benefits from the university cost about $3 million."

The policy change would primarily affect medical benefits, in addition to dental, vision and dependent life insurance coverage, Paden said.

Rubin said the resolution could meet resistance from conservative legislators.

"As always, there will always be people who do not think that lesbians and gays deserve any sort of consideration because of their own beliefs," Rubin said. "That will always exist."

Rubin said passing the resolution is a step in the right direction for the entire university.

"I think this is the right thing to do," Rubin said. "As part of the Mizzou family, lesbians and gays with domestic partners deserve the same benefits as their co-workers."