Calif. House Committee
Opposes Prop. 8

California's house judiciary committee passed a resolution opposing Proposition 8 on Tuesday, saying that the ballot initiative to end marriage equality in the state was an "improper revision of the California constitution."

Assembly member Tom Ammiano, a San Francisco Democrat who authored H.R. 5, said in a press release that he was confident that the assembly would support the repeal of Proposition 8. Ammiano told Advocate.com Wednesday that the resolution will face a full house vote within the next week, amid the state budget negotiations transpiring in the legislature.

Bay Area legislator Mark Leno has introduced a similar resolution in the senate, which Ammiano said will likely also pass.

"We are predicting success on this," he said. "I'm very grateful for all of the people who have come forward with me on this. We have a lot of support with our straight allies."

Voting in the committee was along party lines, with a 7-3 vote. One of the Republican committee members is Steve Knight of Palmdale, whose father, Pete Knight, wrote Proposition 22, a ballot initiative that banned same-sex marriage in California in 2000 by statute, but not in the constitution.

"I think all three of them were looking for places to hide," Ammiano said. "Knight said, 'I really think the legislature should not weigh in on this. If the courts decide with the opponents of Prop. 8, that's fine with me.'" Ammiano added, "The members themselves were not vitriolic in their remarks. It was the usual, 'We love you but we hate the sin.'"

The California supreme court will hear arguments for and against keeping Proposition 8 on the books on March 5. (Michelle Garcia, Advocate.com)