After ruling last month that the University of Iowa could provide benefits to partners of homosexual employees, the Iowa Board of Regents will be asked to consider a similar proposal from Iowa State today.

Warren Madden, ISU vice president for Business and Finance, said the docket for the regents’ July meeting includes a proposal from Iowa State that, if approved, would allow the university to provide benefits for partners of homosexual employees.

The regents’ meeting began Wednesday in Cedar Falls and continues today. The issue is scheduled to be broached at today’s meeting.

“Benefits for same-sex couples have been requested by people at Iowa State,” Madden said. “There has been a view here that [same-sex couples] should be treated equitably.”

Iowa State currently allows homosexual couples to have benefits, but the university itself does not provide them.

“Employees with same-sex partners currently pay the full cost of dependent care coverage,” Madden said. “Our proposal would allow the university to pay for that coverage.”

The Board of Regents voted 5-3 to approve the University of Iowa’s proposal in June. Board of Regents President Owen Newlin voted in favor of the request and plans to support similar requests from Iowa State and the University of Northern Iowa.

“The plan is to authorize, but not require, ISU and UNI to provide benefits for same-sex couples, just like we have done for the University of Iowa,” he said.

Newlin said he supports the idea of benefits for same-sex couples simply because university employees believe it is important.

“The universities felt it was necessary for faculty and staff to have those benefits,” he said, “and the administrations and faculty senates have been largely behind the idea.”

Regent David Fisher voted against the University of Iowa’s proposal. He said he did not think the policy would be well received by Iowans.

“I feel that it’s poor public policy,” he said. “I believe in the sanctity of marriage, and I just didn’t think it would sit well with Iowans and the Iowa Legislature.”

Fisher also said he was concerned that approving the proposal would set an unwanted example for unmarried heterosexual couples who would want to take advantage of benefits.

But Newlin and Madden said state law already allows unmarried heterosexual couples to receive dependent care coverage from the regent schools.

“There is a common law right now that already allows unmarried couples to have benefits,” Madden said.

Madden and Newlin both noted that if unmarried couples want to take advantage of benefits, they must meet common law requirements, providing an affidavit that proves they are indeed in a dependent relationship.

Madden said approving a policy that would allow homosexual couples to benefit from dependent care coverage is important at Iowa State.

“We always say that we encourage diversity, and this proposal is consistent with that statement,” he said. “In the long term, it plays a role in terms of recruiting and retaining faculty and staff.”