When video emerged of Sharron Angle, the Republican nominee in Nevada for US Senate, dismissing insurance mandates for covering autism and maternity leave, Nevada Assemblyman David Bobzien stood up to her dangerous attacks. Angle told a crowd at a Tea Party Express rally that people shouldn’t have to pay for medical concerns that they personally don’t have in their insurance plans (of course, this contradicts the idea of the insurance system). In her speech, she used air-quotes to describe autism, and said that she wants to get rid of the mandate to cover the neural disorder.

Assemblyman David Bobzien of Reno, a member of PFAW Foundation’s Young Elected Officials (YEO) Network and a sponsor of the measure to establish mandates for autism coverage, convened a meeting of parents of children with autism. Many of the parents took issue with how she dismissed the significance of autism, and Assemblyman Bobzien pointed to the fact the mandate actually lowers costs and that officials from both parties and insurance providers all backed the mandate. In fact, just two members of the Assembly opposed AB162, and the Nevada State Senate passed the measure unanimously. Such bizarre attacks against reasonable health care provisions are typical of the Tea Party darling, who despite her anti-government rhetoric is actually covered by federal government health care. You can learn more about Angle’s extreme ideology in PFAW’s Rogues’ Gallery report.

When right-wing candidates like Sharron Angle oppose commonsense and important measures such as mandates for covering Autism and maternity leave, it is important that young progressive leaders like Assemblyman Bobzien stand up to rebut their attacks.