After much impassioned discussion, Undergraduate Student Government passed a resolution in support of domestic partner benefits at Ohio State.

“I am relieved and overjoyed that the Undergraduate Student Government stood firm and voted in support of this controversial issue,” said Nadir Danishmand, senate parliamentarian and international senator.

Danishmand and Scott Wesseler, diversity senator, were the resolution’s primary sponsors.

A domestic partner benefit policy creates a health care option for eligible students, faculty and staff that would provide them with the same benefits married couples receive, Danishmand said.

In order to be recognized as domestic partners by an insurance company, a couple must meet specific criteria. Both people must be at least 18 years old, have co-habitated for at least a 12 month period and have shared verifiable living expenses. Bills and credit card statements are sufficient forms of verification.

The couple must then make a formal declaration of domestic partnership. Finally, the insurance company reviews the previously stated records and interviews the couple.

Health care benefits for domestic partners is not a new issue for the university.

“We started out this journey when no other schools in the Big Ten or the state of Ohio provided domestic partner benefits. Unfortunately, today we’re still fighting this battle and have been passed by nine other Big Ten universities and many universities within the state of Ohio,” said Mike Goodman, USG president.

Eric Dyer, president of the Minnesota Student Association at the University of Minnesota, confirmed Goodman’s statement. The university has had a domestic partners policy in place for seven years, he said.

Dyer was in Columbus for the National Conference Addressing Issues Related to Celebratory Riots – taking place yesterday and today at the Blackwell – and voluntarily attended the senate meeting.

“It had no impact on student fee allocation toward health insurance,” he said.

Many senators had their own thoughts on the matter and were not shy about sharing them.

Rachel Albrecht, exploration senator, said that as representatives of undergraduates at OSU, it is important to take all of them into account, including nontraditional students in their 30s, 40s and beyond who could be eligible for these benefits.

Albrecht also said that the future of the university depends on a domestic partners policy.

Ken Smith, food, agricultural, and environmental sciences senator, opposed the resolution on the grounds that the resolution violates the sanctity of marriage.

“Domestic partner policies are an attack on the traditional definition and concept of marriage,” Smith said.

In response to this statement, Zach West, USAS senator, said “Our job is not to legislate morality. We took an oath to represent our constituency, and we should be giving them access to health care.”

Money concerns dominated any issues of morality for a few senators. David Truesdale, mathematical and physical sciences senator, said insurance companies charge according to the number of people who can claim benefits on Ohio State’s insurance plan. Therefore, the more people who can claim benefits, the more money OSU will be charged – money that may have otherwise benefited students.

Danishmand, however, said he believes money should not be a factor. He said the matter is a civil rights issue.

“People should not be denied access to the best programs for reasons that relate to race, ethnicity or lifestyle,” Danishmand said.

After an hour, discussion was called to a close, and a vote was taken. The resolution passed 43 to 6.

USG now joins a number of governing bodies at OSU that support domestic partner benefits.

The Council of Graduate Students has upheld a domestic partner resolution every year since 1994. The Council on Student Affairs passed a resolution two weeks ago supporting the policy and the University Senate – a body of 135 members representing faculty, administration and students – passed a resolution requesting that the Board of Trustees approve a domestic partner policy since 2002, Danishmand said.

The Board of Trustees has yet to make a formal decision on the matter.