Valerie Richardson
Articles by Valerie Richardson
Gay-marriage foes win ruling in California
Supporters of traditional marriage scored a crucial victory Thursday as the California Supreme Court ruled that sponsors of Proposition 8 and other ballot measures are entitled to defend the initiatives in court when state leaders refuse to do so. Published November 17, 2011
Elections give GOP a solid hold on South
The South, once solidly Democratic, is more solidly Republican than ever after the 2011 elections. Published November 15, 2011
Texas faces suit after nixing Rebel license plates
A Texas board voted unanimously Thursday to deny an application for specialty license plates featuring the Confederate battle flag, setting the stage for a legal showdown. Published November 10, 2011
Anti-immigration lawmaker ousted in recall
Foes of Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce declared a new day in Arizona on Wednesday as they celebrated the recall defeat of the nationally known immigration hawk who was the primary architect of the state's tough anti-illegal-immigrants law. Published November 9, 2011
Mississippi voters reject ‘personhood’ amendment
A Mississippi initiative stating that life begins at conception, known as the "personhood" amendment, was handed an unexpected defeat in Tuesday's off-year election balloting. Published November 9, 2011
Costco in spirited bid to privatize liquor sales
The campaign for Washington state's Initiative 1183 is based on the belief that Costco shoppers should be able to pick up a fifth of Jack Daniels along with their family pack of hot-dog buns and three-pound tubs of mixed nuts. Published November 6, 2011
Chasm wide on Grand Canyon uranium mining
The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, 18 miles wide and a mile deep, which is roughly the size of the gap between the Obama administration and Western Republicans on the issue of uranium mining in Northern Arizona. Published November 3, 2011
Blizzard of ‘no’ in Colorado kills tax hikes for schools
A fast-moving blizzard unloaded a foot of snow on the Denver area Tuesday night just as Colorado voters were dumping cold water on President Obama's re-election strategy. Published November 2, 2011
Colorado voters overwhelmingly reject higher taxes
Colorado's Proposition 103, the biggest tax-increase proposal of the off-year November election, was headed to a sound defeat early Wednesday, an indication that voters still expect government to solve its economic woes with spending cuts instead of revenue increases. Published November 1, 2011
Appeal denied on highway crosses in Utah
The Supreme Court handed a victory to atheist groups Monday, declining to hear a case on roadside crosses honoring fallen Utah state troopers in a move likely to intensify the debate about the constitutionality of religious symbols on public property. Published October 31, 2011
Perry opposes design of Confederate license plate
After declining for months to tip his hand, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, under pressure from state civil-rights leaders, said Wednesday he opposes a proposed state license plate depicting the Confederate battle flag. Published October 26, 2011
Voter ID, other initiatives follow GOP’s resurgence
Voters in Maine, Mississippi and Washington will decide election-reform questions this November, joining a wave of 36 states that in 2011 moved to increase identification requirements, limit the early-voting period, or toughen up registration rules. Published October 23, 2011
North Dakota to give up attempts to keep Fighting Sioux logo
The end may finally be near for the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname and logo. Published October 18, 2011
Ruling impacts on polar bears
The polar bear landed back in the Obama administration's lap Monday after a federal judge ruled the Interior Department must conduct an environmental review before it can exclude climate change from its strategy in aiding the threatened species. Published October 17, 2011
Sham entry of Hispanic could sway Ariz. vote
The author of Arizona's landmark immigration law is facing a recall election that's as wild and unpredictable as the state's southern border. Published October 16, 2011
Hawaii is no paradise for Abercrombie
Hawaii's Neil Abercrombie is finding trouble in paradise as he makes the rocky transition from longtime congressman to first-time governor. Published October 11, 2011
Medical-pot users fuming over ATF’s gun-sale ban
You can have your gun, or you can have your medical marijuana. But the Obama administration now says you can't have both. Published October 6, 2011
Colorado town displeased with tainted cantaloupes using its name
The residents of Rocky Ford, Colo., want to make one thing clear: The "Rocky Ford Cantaloupe" that touched off a national listeria outbreak, the deadliest U.S. food-borne outbreak in a decade, wasn't grown in Rocky Ford. Published October 4, 2011
Colorado kids dub Obama a ‘cool’ president
Julissa Belmontes and her friends at Abraham Lincoln High School here all used the same word to describe President Obama: cool. Published September 27, 2011
GOP holding winning hand in Nevada?
While the Republicans' surprising win in New York's 9th Congressional District race drew most of the attention, it was the GOP's second victory on Sept. 13 that could have even bigger ramifications for President Obama's re-election bid. Published September 26, 2011
