Oregon: Bill would help groom become Mr. Missus (making it easier for man to take wife's surname)

You've heard of women's lib. Now, state Sen. Vicki Walker wants to introduce you to men's lib.

The Eugene Democrat tagged an amendment onto a routine housekeeping bill that she hopes will help men who want to change their names when they marry, but aren't really sure how.

Under Walker's amendment, the application for marriage licenses would be redesigned to make room for a little box where the bride and groom can write what they'll be called after the big day.

Now, before brides and grooms say "I do," they pick up applications for marriage licenses at their county clerk's office. The applications, which are the same across the state, have boxes for the bride's and groom's current names, but no place to put what they want their new surnames to be.

Walker's amendment clears up state statutes her staff says are muddled, stating specifically that either party can take the other's name or they can choose a hyphenated combination.

"We are no longer a patriarchal society," Walker told senators Monday before they passed House Bill 3120 in a 19-11 vote. "This simply makes it fair."

The idea -- though Walker said she didn't tell the Senate for fear she might lose votes -- came to her while she was leafing through a copy of Ms. magazine.

One article told the tale of a California legislator who was proposing name-change legislation. If California was doing it, Walker thought, why not Oregon?

She asked her staff to look into the issue and the Senate president to send the bill to her committee.

The staff found only six other states that specifically spell out the process for grooms to change their names. In some states, men have to pay hundreds of dollars in fees to have their names legally changed by a judge.

In Oregon, a nonmarriage-related name change costs at least $99. In spite of the muddy law, as a practical matter, there's no indication men have to pay such a fee to change their names when they marry.

Greg Kern, of the marriage license department at the Multnomah County Clerk's Office, said a groom is just as able as a bride to take his marriage certificate to the right agencies and take his wife's name as his own.

Oregon charges $60 to obtain the license. Then it's up to the newlyweds to purchase a certified copy ($7.75 each) and take the copy to the Social Security Administration, the Department of Motor Vehicles, their employers, credit card companies and any other agency that needs to keep track of them, to change their names.

One of the rights granted by marriage is to take each other's name, Kern said. It's not an everyday event in Multnomah County, but "here, guys have been doing it for years."

Even so, Walker's measure would spell that out in the law. With the amendment, the bill now goes back to the House. If the House agrees, it would go to Gov. Ted Kulongoski for his signature before it could become law.

Several Republicans voted against the measure. Sen. Jeff Kruse, a Roseburg Republican, was one of them. He said his vote was a protest, not of the name-change amendment, but other aspects of the bill dealing with domestic partnerships.

Walker easily ditched her last name when she got married -- it was hard to pronounce, she said -- and guys should have an easy route to the same luxury.

Mike Piper isn't convinced many men will want to take that route. Piper owns a local wedding planning company, and in his twelve years of experience, he can't remember any men scrambling to take their bride-to-be's maiden name.

"Honestly, it's never come up," he said. "I've never had a groom entertain the thought."

Emee Pumarega, another wedding coordinator in the Portland area, said in 10 years she has seen a few men change their names, but not many. Still, the bill can't hurt, she said.

"I think it just removes one more barrier for people who are thinking about doing it."

Giving credit where it's due...I found this article because it's linked at Orbusmax

Orbusmax ™ Northwest News - 'Around The World In 80K'

"It was just a delightful little project," Walker said.

awwww... how very special.

"here, guys have been doing it for years."

hmmmm...that's news to me.

Still, the bill can't hurt, she said.

A familiar refrain heard on the path to Hell.

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