Spitzer to Introduce Gay Marriage Bill

Eliot Spitzer will introduce a bill this spring to legalize gay marriage in New York state, the Times reports, fulfilling one of his earliest campaign pledges. The measure would make New York the second state to recognize same-sex marriages.

The governor is the first to admit that the bill's prospects are not rosy. "It's not likely to be passed in the next nine-and-a-half weeks," he confesses, but says he remains optimistic. In the past, gay marriage has stagnated in the legislature, and it's not clear how much political capital the governor has to spend on it. (More gay marriage stories.)