Source: Record Courier
A new contract for Kent State University faculty comes up for review this year, and an early draft released Wednesday includes a clause that could trigger a legal wrangle over a constitutional amendment adopted in 2004 by state voters.

The proposed clause extends the same health benefits enjoyed by spouses  to domestic partners of 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.

Several steps remain before any contract would be offered to KSU's professors and the university administration for consideration. An official said a formal agreement is "still a ways away."

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."

In November, 2004 Ohio voters overwhelmingly passed what some at the time called the "most strident" of the marriage-defining amendments that were popular that year. The amendment to the state constitution defines marriage as a special right of heterosexual couples.

Although courts have determined since its passage that the effects of the amendment are not as widespread as some had feared, opponents during the campaign worried that the amendment would prohibit programs like the domestic partnership rules being proposed by the state-run university.

If adopted, however, the benefits could face a legal challenge because of the amendment.

All domestic partner benefits would 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.

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.

Full article: Recordpub.com - KSU benefits may include domestic partnerships