Ira Hansen to step down as speaker of Nevada Assembly; says he's a victim, blames the media
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Sun, 11/23/2014 - 1:16pm
Assemblyman Ira Hansen, R-Sparks, will step down as the GOP's choice for speaker of the Nevada Assembly. Hansen made the announcement in an statement sent to the Republican Assembly caucus that was made public Sunday. He blamed the media and the "powers that be" as prompting his resignation in which he said he has become a victim and target of "character assassination."
In recent days several columns he had written over the years for the Sparks Tribune and comments he made on KOH radio were again brought to light, where Hansen blasted blacks, women in the military, Jews and gays.
"For the greater good of the State of Nevada and the cause I support it is necessary for me to withdraw as Speaker Designee," According to Hansen's statement to the Caucus. "The tens of thousands of people who both read my columns and listened to my radio shows through two decades in the media know this has been a carefully orchestrated attack to remove a conservative Republican from a major leadership role in State government."
Hansen noted his resignation happened because those in power are planning a "massive, more than one billion dollar, tax increase and I stood in the way as Speaker."
"The deliberate character assassination and the politics of personal destruction have totally distorted my views and record. Ultimately, this whole attack has very little to do with my views. The powers that be are planning a massive, more than one billion dollar, tax increase and I stood in the way as Speaker. I have already served two terms as an Assemblyman without any of these vicious attacks. It was only when I had risen to leadership that this smear campaign occurred. That is the real reason for this and it is vital the public understands that."
On Nov. 7, when Nevada's GOP picked him as its Assembly leader, the Reno News Review conducted an extensive search of columns Hansen wrote for the Sparks Tribune from 1994 through 2010. The search revealed that in his columns, Hansen has written that the Oklahoma City bombing was a false flag operation orchestrated by the administration of President Clinton, that women do not belong in the United States Armed Forces, that President Obama is a "negro", that he owns and flies a Confederate battle flag, that gays are disproportionally prone to engaging in child abuse, that a "grossly disproportionate" number of crimes are committed by Latinos, and that the relationship between "Negroes and Democrats" is that of a "master-slave relationship with the benevolent master knowing what’s best for his simple minded darkies."
Hansen's comments drew national attention. Fellow Sparks Tribune columnist Andrew Barbano said that "I believe Ira is an overt bigot, racist and homophobe." The Reno-Sparks NAACP called his views "racist, bigoted, and homophobic" and called for his selection as Speaker to be reconsidered.
Hansen apologized and said that it was "unfortunate" that his comments had been "taken out of context" and "portrayed as intentionally hurtful and disrespectful", saying that they were "meant to be purposely provocative in various political, cultural and religious views."
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