Judge rules NYC must enforce law benefiting same-sex couples

New York City must enforce a law that requires companies it does business with to give the same benefits to their employees' domestic partners that they give to employees' spouses, a judge ruled. Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration fought the Equal Benefits Law, saying it would limit its ability to choose bidders at low costs. The city pays about $3 billion a year to contractors. Bloomberg vetoed the law, but the city council overrode the veto last year. Justice Faviola Soto ruled Monday that the Bloomberg administration must enforce it. Cities including San Francisco, Seattle, and Los Angeles have similar laws. "It's an important victory for same-sex partners," councilwoman Christine Quinn told The New York Times. The city's lead attorney, Michael Cardozo, said he would appeal.