Congress candidate Angle justifies voting record

Thursday, June 9, 2005 | 8:24 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Assemblywoman Sharron Angle, who announced for Congress Wednesday, says she's a conservative even though she supported a record state budget and building program and gave approval to spend $35 million in a so-called "pork bill."

Angle said at a press conference that "You have to spend money for legitimate things," but in a press release she complained that Nevada and the federal government "lack the will power to control spending."

Angle, a Reno Republican, voted for the Assembly's $35 million special projects bill but then voted against the Senate's "pork bill" in the regular session. But she voted for the Senate bill in the special session. She said Wednesday she made a mistake.

Angle will run for the 2nd Congressional District seat against Secretary of State Dean Heller and former Assemblywoman Dawn Gibbons for the GOP nomination to succeed Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., who has indicated he will run for governor.

The district covers a small part of Clark County and the rest of the state.

Angle said her legislative records shows she has been against new or increased taxes and fees. She also started an initiative petition drive last year to put a limit on property tax increases but failed to gather enough signatures. She said she would start the process again on Sept. 1 this year.

She said Dawn Gibbons, wife of the congressman, is not conservative and that she "sided with the liberals" on the tax increase vote in 2003. She did not comment on Heller.

Heller said he has a similar record as Angle on "limiting government and raising taxes." He said the "odd person out is Dawn."

Dawn Gibbons could not be reached for comment but her campaign consultant Jim Denton said, "Mrs. Angle is entitled to her opinion and certainly her voting record as well. I think the distinction will be abundantly clear during the next year of this campaign."

Angle said she voted for Jim Gibbons but was disappointed when he didn't put his name on the suit to overturn the ruling of the Supreme Court that allowed the Legislature to raise taxes only by a majority and not two-thirds.

Angle said she opposed Yucca Mountain but added she believes it's a "done deal." She said, "We're still making noise" but "we don't have enough voices in Washington to stop it. It's probably coming."

She was one of those who carried a suit to overturn the ruling of the Nevada Supreme Court that the Legislature didn't have to have a two-thirds vote to raise taxes. She said she wants to continue to make sure the two-thirds majority holds.

She said she voted against allowing medical marijuana in Nevada because it was against the federal law. She initially voted against the Canadian prescription drug bill, which may be against federal law. But then she voted for the bill in the special session after it was disclosed that Gov. Kenny Guinn had decided to approve the measure.

She said she wants to lower the tax on gasoline since its big rise in prices and she wants to make borders more secure because "our immigration system is broken."

She supported the war in Iraq.

"We would be fighting on our soil if they (the military) were not in Iraq. They would be here" fighting in the United States.