No benefits for partners of same sex

By DARYL LANG
Collegian Staff Writer

Bowing to pressure from state legislators, Penn State President Graham Spanier announced Thursday the university will not offer health benefits to employees' same-sex partners this year.

Spanier's decision counters a near-unanimous vote by the University Faculty Senate in December to offer the same domestic partner benefits to gay and lesbian faculty and staff that Penn State offers to married heterosexual couples.

"I must report that there is insufficient support at this time in the Pennsylvania Legislature to allow Penn State to approve the Faculty Senate proposal," Spanier said in a letter to Senate members.

Murry Nelson, chair-elect of the Faculty Senate, said Spanier's announcement does not rule out the possibility of domestic partner benefits in the future.

"We agree that we're very disappointed in his decision, but we also understand the very unusual circumstances that led to it," Nelson said. "We're very supportive of him in making this decision."

Spanier seems to support these benefits personally, Nelson added, but he faces strong political opposition from the state General Assembly.

About 20 legislators, including committee chairs and leadership from both parties, contacted Penn State to voice their opposition to the benefit proposal, said Steve MacCarthy, executive director of University Relations.

One of those legislators was sate Rep. Lynn Herman, R-Centre, who wrote Spanier a letter in December.

"Not only does this proposal have detrimental moral implications, but it will undoubtedly increase Penn State's cost to provide this benefit," Herman wrote.

In an interview Friday, Herman implied the Legislature would have penalized Penn State financially if the university began offering domestic partner benefits.

"I think Dr. Spanier's intuition that this would have a detrimental effect on Penn State's appropriation is accurate," Herman said.

State Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre, said if the benefit program had passed, it probably would have come under scrutiny when Spanier travels to Harrisburg later this year to ask for appropriations.

State Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre, said he did not support domestic partner benefits because of the additional cost to the university and the moral issue of sexual orientation.

"The morality issue is significant to me. The institution of marriage is significant," Benninghoff said Friday. "Basically, by passing something like that, we are endorsing that lifestyle."