Valerie Richardson

Three states away in Colorado, union backers rally for Wisconsin

Denver was one of at least a dozen cities where labor organizations hosted solidarity rallies Tuesday in support of Wisconsin's public-sector unions and against Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who has proposed limiting their collective-bargaining rights and requiring members to contribute more to their pension and health care plans. Published February 22, 2011

Bingaman’s exit puts ‘safe’ N.M. seat in play

Democrats put on a brave face after Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico announced Friday that he would leave office in 2012, but it's hard to see how his retirement contains any good news for the party. Published February 20, 2011

Giffords is seen as shoo-in for Kyl’s seat

Any discussion of who's likely to succeed outgoing Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona needs to factor in the following: If Rep. Gabrielle Giffords wants the seat, it's hers. Published February 10, 2011

Colorado GOP chief won’t seek 3rd term

With some scathing words for his critics, Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dick Wadhams dropped his bid for a third term this week in the face of a challenge from state Sen. Ted Harvey, who said he aims to return "authentic conservative leadership to the party structure." Published February 9, 2011

S.D. GOP’s gun bill takes aim at ‘Obamacare’

Five GOP state legislators have introduced a bill that would require every South Dakotan age 21 or older to purchase a gun. Published February 7, 2011

Reagan library update grabs attention and holds it

There's nothing quite like the thought of visiting a presidential library to make the average American stifle a yawn and reach for the remote. As it turns out, the people behind the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum understand this. That's why they never stop loading the library with goodies. Published February 3, 2011

N.Y., California sing blue-state budget blues

California's Jerry Brown and New York's Andrew M. Cuomo won their gubernatorial election bids last year with strong support from public-employee unions, which puts them each in a particularly dicey position when it comes to their states' mammoth budget deficits. Published February 1, 2011

Reagan’s 100th wins a gala for the Gipper

The Great Communicator would have been 100 years old on Feb. 6, and those at the Ronald Reagan Foundation and Library here plan to do a bit more than fire up another candle. Published January 30, 2011

‘Old school’ Hatch girds for new wave in primary

Orrin Hatch has served Utah for many years — maybe too many. The political mood among Republican voters favors fresh faces with tea party connections, and while the 76-year-old Mr. Hatch may be a veritable political institution in his state, he's not exactly fresh. Published January 30, 2011

Outspoken Tucson sheriff faces recall bid

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik has never lost an election, but that was before his remarks assigning blame for the deadly Tucson, Ariz., shooting to political "vitriol" and calling Arizona "a mecca for prejudice and bigotry." Published January 20, 2011

Fighting Sioux on warpath over nickname

When North Dakota's state board of higher education voted to phase out the "Fighting Sioux" last year, that seemed to signal the end of the lengthy battle over the University of North Dakota's nickname and logo. Except that it didn't. Published January 17, 2011

Psychologists view Loughner as a man with ‘serious mental issues going on’

Jared Lee Loughner isn't your typical depressed-but-angry rampage shooter, seeking vengeance for a failed marriage, a lost job, or a life that just didn't turn out the way he had planned. Published January 10, 2011

Gay group in, values groups out at CPAC

Social and economic conservatives have worked together under the mantle of the Republican Party since Ronald Reagan made them the core of his 1980 coalition, but the alliance now may be fraying. Published January 5, 2011

San Diego memorial cross ruled to be unconstitutional

A cross perched atop San Diego's Mount Soledad for nearly a century is unconstitutional and must be removed, according to a federal court ruling Tuesday. Published January 4, 2011

CPAC attendance raises gay issue

Some of the biggest names in social conservatism are opting out of the upcoming high-profile Conservative Political Action Conference in response to what they see as the growing marginalization of social issues, culminating in the participation of GOProud, a gay-rights Republican group. Published December 29, 2010

Arizona lawmaker set to ramp up fight against illegals

Arizona took a public-relations punch to the gut after passing the nation's toughest anti-illegal-immigration law earlier this year, but anyone who thinks (or hopes) the state Legislature will lower its profile on the border-security issue in 2011 likely will be disappointed. Published December 28, 2010

Western states win people power in census

Americans continued to heed Horace Greeley's advice and go West, as states in the Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions emerged as the big gainers in the 2010 U.S. Census report. Published December 22, 2010

Obama adopts U.N. manifesto on rights of indigenous peoples

President Obama announced Thursday that the U.S. would reverse the position of the Bush administration and become the last nation to drop its opposition to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Published December 16, 2010

Anti-illegals activist to target voter fraud

Outside of Kansas, Kris Kobach is best known as an expert on immigration issues. He's the author of Arizona's anti-illegal-immigration law, a longtime counsel to the Immigration Law Reform Institute and a hero within the border-security movement. Published December 15, 2010

Appeals court hears pros, cons of gay marriage for California

The fight over California's same-sex marriage ban unfolded Monday before television audiences as attorneys began arguing the validity of Proposition 8 before a federal appeals court in proceedings broadcast live and watched by those anxious about the outcome and possible national implications of the case. Published December 6, 2010