Rep. Angle announces run for Congress

Nevada Assemblywoman Sharron Angle, R-Reno, on Wednesday made official her bid to claim the congressional seat held by Jim Gibbons, R-Nev.

Angle, in her fourth two-year Assembly term, described herself as "one of Nevada's most conservative voices."

She will face at least two other Republicans in the primary for the seat opened by Gibbons' decision to run for governor. Secretary of State Dean Heller and Gibbons' wife, Dawn, are also running.

Asked what her biggest legislative accomplishments were, she cited the Nevada Reading Excellence Act, which seeks to train teachers in using phonics to teach reading to youngsters.

"I will be representing Nevada in Washington, D.C., the same way I have in Nevada," she said. "I stand for lower taxes and less regulation."

At a press conference held in a committee room of the Nevada Legislature, she proudly said she has consistently voted against taxes in her four terms in the Assembly.

But she admitted voting for this year's budget, - the largest in state history by a billion dollars, for the record $402.8 million capital construction budget and for the Assembly's "pork" bill containing more than $35 million in special projects.

"Sometimes there are thing you legitimately have to spend money on," she said.

She said she would also continue her effort to force a Nevada vote adopting California's tax cutting Proposition 13.

That effort started as part of her fight to reverse the Nevada Supreme Court vote setting aside a two-thirds majority requirement to raise taxes. While she said she voted for Gibbons in the last election, "I was a little disappointed he didn't come and help me shore that up."

She said she supports the U.S. Supreme Court decision saying federal authorities can arrest Nevadans even if they have medical cards allowing them to use marijuana because it's illegal under federal law. She said the state shouldn't violate federal law.

But she defended her vote just this week in favor of the Canadian prescription drug bill even though those drug imports are against federal law.

On Yucca Mountain, she said she agrees with 80 percent of Nevadans that it shouldn't be here.

"However, we're very pragmatic and I feel Yucca Mountain is a done deal," she said. "We kind of understand we don't have enough voices in Washington, D.C."

n Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.