Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
Houston ‘bathroom bill’: Transgender rights movement seeks red-state ballot win
Houston has emerged as ground zero for national gay rights groups seeking a key victory on red state soil as they mobilize behind a sweeping equal rights ballot measure expanding transgender access to public restrooms. Published October 20, 2015
Background checks for ammunition buys moving toward ballot in California
With 300 million firearms in circulation and calls for more restrictions hitting a wall, Democrats and gun control advocates from California to Virginia are increasingly turning to other proposals such as restricting ammunition and magazine rounds and narrowing the ability to wield weapons. Published October 15, 2015
Gun rights advocates say college shootings boost argument for concealed carry on campus
Even as this month's three deadly university shootings fuel cries for a crackdown on firearms, gun rights advocates say the incidents actually strengthen their campaign to allow concealed carry on campus. Published October 12, 2015
California bans ‘Redskins’ nickname for public schools
California will no longer permit public schools to use "Redskins" as a nickname or mascot under a bill signed Sunday by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown. Published October 11, 2015
Trey Gowdy denies ex-staffer’s allegations of Benghazi committee bias
Rep. Trey Gowdy, chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, said Sunday that a former staffer accusing the panel of bias against Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton never mentioned her before being fired "deficient performance," including mishandling classified information. Published October 11, 2015
Newt Gingrich, former speaker, warns Paul Ryan to think twice about running for House speaker
Newt Gingrich warned Sunday that Rep. Paul Ryan should be "very cautious" about running for the top House job lest he hurt his political future by morphing into another John Boehner. Published October 11, 2015
Critics predict new California motor-voter law will flood voter rolls with noncitizens
A bill signed Saturday by California Gov. Jerry Brown aimed at improving voter turnout has critics predicting that it will ramp up voter fraud by making it easier for noncitizens to cast ballots. Published October 11, 2015
Bernie Sanders, Vermont senator, shows strength with big crowds as first Democratic debate looms
Sen. Bernard Sanders has attracted large crowds at rallies this weekend. Published October 11, 2015
EPA comes under fire following another Colorado mine spill
The Environmental Protection Agency took flak Thursday for reports of another spill from a clean-up project at a Colorado mine, this time a relatively small discharge at the Standard Mine near Crested Butte. Published October 8, 2015
California Fair Pay Act threatens to accelerate state’s business exodus
California Gov. Jerry Brown's signing Tuesday of what is billed as the nation's toughest equal pay law drew loud applause but also alarm over the additional government regulation threatening to accelerate the state's business exodus -- with implications for Tinseltown too. Published October 6, 2015
Center for Medical Progress can release Planned Parenthood probe video to Congress, judge rules
A federal judge in San Francisco ruled Tuesday that the pro-life Center for Medical Progress may comply with a congressional subpoena for undercover video footage related to its Planned Parenthood investigation despite a temporary restraining order. Published October 6, 2015
Houston transgender bathroom bill debate centers on differing definitions of ‘men’
The noisy debate over this city's Proposition 1 has centered on whether it would allow men to use women's public restrooms, which boils down to how you define "men" and "women." Published October 5, 2015
California fifth state to allow physician-assisted suicide
California's wrenching yearlong legislative debate over the right to die culminated Monday with Gov. Jerry Brown signing into law a bill making California the fifth state to permit physician-assisted suicide for the terminally ill. Published October 5, 2015
Cory Gardner, Doug Lamborn reject plan to transfer Gitmo detainees to Colorado
The Defense Department's plan to consider two Colorado prisons as possible destinations for Guantanamo Bay detainees is meeting with outrage from the state's Republican congressional delegation, demonstrating the political resistance President Obama faces as he tries to honor his promise to close down the Cuba detainee facility. Published October 4, 2015
Colorado football player sues school for rejecting religious inscription
An ex-college football player is taking his alma mater to court for rejecting an inscription on a personalized locker room nameplate over his request for two citations from the Bible. Attorneys for Michael Lucas, a former nose tackle for the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, filed a lawsuit last week contending that the public university violated his constitutional rights by refusing to allow the words "Colossians 3:23 and Micah 5:9" on the nameplate. Published October 4, 2015
Judge blocks Bureau of Land Management attempt to restrict fracking
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Bureau of Land Management's new rule on hydraulic fracturing Wednesday, suggesting the agency attempted an "end run" around Congress by imposing a layer of regulation in violation of federal law. Published September 30, 2015
Homeschool parents sue New Jersey, allege ‘unlawful, unconstitutional home intrusion’
Nothing really changed after a New Jersey state social worker banged on Christopher and Nicole Zimmer's front door, and yet everything was different. Published September 13, 2015
California assisted-suicide bill puts spotlight on Jerry Brown’s personal beliefs
Whether California will join the rest of the left coast in legalizing physician-assisted suicide depends largely on which Gov. Jerry Brown greets the bill nearing his desk — the progressive Democrat or the devout Catholic. Published September 10, 2015
EPA accused at hearing of doctoring video from Gold King Mine spill
The Environmental Protection Agency was accused Wednesday of doctoring footage from the Gold King Mine spill, removing the audio of a worker saying, "What do we do now?" Published September 9, 2015
Defund Iran effort launched at state level to stop tax investment in Islamist regime
A coalition of Republican officials in five states announced Tuesday the launch of Defund Iran, a November 2016 ballot movement to prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to fund the Iran nuclear deal. Published September 8, 2015
