Mar. 27 - KGO - It may be tradition for the woman to take the man's last name in marriage. But Mike Buday of Marina Del Rey told an Assembly committee Tuesday it's much more difficult for a man to change his name, and believes that's discriminatory.

The 29-year-old wanted to take his wife Diana Bijon's last name to show love for his father-in-law, but experienced so much more red tape than a woman would.

Mike Buday, new husband: "Diana and I only ask that the state treat us as equals in marriage and allow us to pursue our family under the name that we choose."

To begin with, marriage license forms don't give grooms the option to take their bride's name. Buday would have to fill out numerous court documents -- pay a $320 dollar filing fee and spend hundreds more publicizing his petition in a newspaper for weeks. Newly married women can just show their marriage license to the DMV and the name change is virtually instantaneous. San Francisco Democrat Fiona Ma wants to change all that.

Assm. Fiona Ma (D) S.F. "This bill is really about equality; it's about flexibility; it's about getting with the times."

The proposal passed its first hurdle today, but Assembly Republicans were divided, mirroring sentiments across the country.

Assm. Van Tran (R) Costa Mesa: "Spouses, usually the woman, the maiden name of the woman, take the name of the husband. That's the way it is."

Assm. Anthony Adams (R) Hesperia: "All it does is create equality between men and women. It's perfectly fair."

Buday also has a federal lawsuit pending to force equal treatment and pave the way for other California men to buck tradition. Honestly, to us, it seems like a pretty minor thing to ask -- that men and women be treated equally in the name change process."

The proposal would also allow registered domestic partners to take the last name of their significant other.