A state group is advocating for the provision granting health care to domestic partners of state employees in Gov. Jim Doyle's 2009-'11 biennial budget proposal.
According to a release from the Wisconsin Coalition for Domestic Partner Benefits, the UW System has been unable to recruit and retain faculty members because of the lack of domestic-partner benefits.
Domestic-partner benefits were introduced in a number of previous budget cycles but were then dropped by the Joint Finance Committee, according to Chris Daniels of WCDPB.
However, Daniels said he is confident the issue will pass in this cycle because the co-chairs of the JFC are supportive of the issue.""
UW-Madison's Associated Students of Madison decided in its meeting Wednesday to become an official affiliate of the WCDPB.
Hannah Karns, vice chair of ASM, said the group's Academic Affairs Committee helped initiate the partnership.
""We are one of the only Big Ten schools that does not have domestic-partner benefits in terms of job recruitment for not only faculty and staff but for graduate students as well,"" she said. ""Students look ... at our retention rates of students and professors.""
In the upcoming months, the coalition and ASM will work with other state groups to plan a statewide day of action to take place Mar 25.
