Michele Fiore
| Michele Fiore | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Nevada Assembly from the 4th district |
|
| Assumed office February 4, 2013 |
|
| Preceded by | Richard McArthur |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 29, 1970 Brooklyn, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Children | 2 daughters, 5 grandchildren |
| Profession | healthcare industry executive |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Website | Nevada Assembly |
Michele Fiore (born July 29, 1970) is an American Republican politician who has been a member of the Nevada Assembly since February 4, 2013.[1] Fiore, who represents part of Clark County in Assembly District 4, is serving her second term. On December 7, 2015, Fiore confirmed that she would not seek re-election and would enter the 2016 race for Nevada's 3rd congressional district in southern Clark County.[2] She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and has lived in Nevada since 1993.
Issues[edit]
Campus gun carry bill[edit]
As a staunch supporter of Second Amendment Rights, Fiore's 2015 Christmas Card shows her family holding their guns. She sponsored Assembly Bill 148 to allow concealed firearms on the campuses of colleges and grade schools and in day care facilities.[3] In an interview with The New York Times, Fiore is quoted saying, "If these young, hot little girls on campus have a firearm, I wonder how many men will want to assault them. The sexual assaults that are occurring would go down once these sexual predators get a bullet in their head."[4]
Same-sex marriage and medical marijuana[edit]
Fiore is noted for having been the only Republican to vote for lifting the ban on same-sex marriage and the legalization of medical marijuana.[5]
Description of treatments possible under Right-to-Try bill[edit]
Fiore was a primary sponsor of the 2015 Nevada Right-to-Try bill,[6][7] legislation which allows doctors to perform medical procedures that are being used in ongoing FDA-approved clinical trials, but have not achieved FDA approval, for terminally ill patients who are not responding to traditional medical treatment.[8] On a February 2014[9] edition of her radio show, discussing Right-to-Try, Fiore described the Simoncini cancer treatment as an example of treatments that the terminally ill could access under Right-to-Try: “If you have cancer, which I believe is a fungus, and we can put a PICC line into your body and we’re flushing, let’s say, salt water, sodium carbonate, through that line, and flushing out the fungus. [...] These are some procedures that are not FDA-approved in America that are very inexpensive, cost-effective.”[10]
The following year, on her February 21, 2015 broadcast, the theme was the concept of Right-to-Try; the bill had been introduced in the Assembly the previous week. At the top of the show Fiore raised the topic of her 2014 comments, "an issue that I have gotten a lot of questions about". She said, "I made comments about cancer that I didn't put in the proper context." She had had a friend with cancer who had made "radical improvement using a doctor out of Italy's treatment covered in his book and his book was called Cancer Is A Fungus,...it was a tumor therapy of some sort. The point I was trying to illustrate was that people like my friend...should have the right to decide their own fate and try experimental treatments like this."[9] She did not repeat that she believed that cancer was a fungus or that salt water could flush it out. After Fiore addressed the issue she and guest Jackie See, M.D., defended the Simoncini treatment and other alternative techniques as viable and as means by which the United States could lead the world medically if regulation and bureaucracy were reduced and doctors could "explor[e] all the treatments not knowing where the next breakthrough will come from."[9] After the 2015 radio program she received renewed national attention for her 2014 statements.[10]
Using sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) as a cancer treatment is espoused by Tullio Simoncini, Ph.D. and is known as the Simoncini cancer treatment.[11] Though this method has not been proven, and no evidence suggests that it or treatment with salt water would work, if either were to be accepted under the bill's requirements it could be legally considered a non-FDA-approved treatment that a terminally ill patient in Nevada could request. The bill that Fiore introduced eight days before her 2015 show requires that the drug, product or device "must have successfully completed Phase 1 of a clinical trial" and that it "is currently being tested in a clinical trial that has been approved by the [FDA]."[12]
Controversies[edit]
IRS investigation[edit]
In December 2014, it was reported that Fiore owed the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) upwards of $1 million in unpaid taxes. In response, Fiore stated, "I am one-hundred percent in compliance with IRS - period." Fiore blamed her ex-husband, who at one time acted as her accountant, and a former employee who stole from her while at the same time sent fraudulent documents to her current accountant to hide the embezzlement.[13] The fallout from her issues with the IRS led to her being removed as majority leader and chairwoman of the Assembly Taxation Committee. Fiore was reinstated to her former position less than 24 hours after her removal.[14] There were reports that Fiore reacted to the removal by saying there was a war on women in the Assembly Republican Caucus. "It was a total misquote," Fiore said. "Nevada Republicans are not waging a war on women. We have a group in our caucus that are waging a war on conservatives."[15]
Involvement in Cliven Bundy standoff[edit]
In April 2014, Fiore was interviewed by MSNBC's Chris Hayes and by Fox News's Sean Hannity regarding the armed confrontation at Bunkerville, Nevada between law enforcement officers and rancher Cliven Bundy and his supporters. The interviews were shared thousands of times on social media. Fiore said, "The federal government should not show up with guns to collect on a debt" and called for the termination of "whoever ordered this to be done."[16][17]
Statement regarding wanting to shoot Syrian refugees herself[edit]
On November 21, 2015, on her weekly AM radio program on KDWN, Fiore explained why she had not signed a Nevada Assembly Republican caucus letter that called for a review of federal safeguards before Nevada would resettle Syrian refugees. She said, "We didn't know anything about the letter, nor did we get invited to be on the letter." She went on, "He's like, 'The Syrian refugees.' I'm like, 'What, are you kidding me? I'm about to fly to Paris and shoot 'em in the head myself.' I mean, I am not OK with Syrian refugees. I’m not OK with terrorists. I’m OK with putting them down, blacking them out. Just put a piece of brass in their ocular cavity and end their miserable life. I’m good with that."[18][19][20][21]
On December 7, 2015, she told the Associated Press, "I was not talking about the refugees." She added, "I do not want Syrian refugees in our state, period," and said that she did not trust the refugee vetting process to screen out terrorists.[2]
2016 Holiday photo[edit]
In December 2015, Fiore sent her constituents a 2016 calendar, which included a family Christmas portrait under the month of December, featuring her immediate family, all holding guns, and her grandchildren, one of whom was holding what appeared to be a handgun.[22] The photo went viral on Facebook, and drew criticism for depicting a small child holding a weapon.[22]
Elections[edit]
- 2010 When Democratic U.S. Representative for Nevada's 1st congressional district Shelley Berkley ran for United States Senate, Fiore ran for Nevada's 1st congressional district in the June 8, 2010, eight-way Republican primary, but lost to Kenneth Wegner.[23]
- 2012 When Republican Assemblyman Richard McArthur ran for Nevada Senate and left the Assembly District 4 seat open, Fiore was unopposed in the June 12, 2012 Republican primary and won the three-way November 6, 2012 general election with 14,239 votes (53.11%) against Democratic nominee Kenneth Evans and Independent American candidate Jonathan Hansen.[24]
- 2014 Fiore, now an incumbent, faced her first re-election challenge from Democrat Jeff Hinton, a former U.S. Marine and current schoolteacher. Fiore won by nearly 25 percent.[25]
Committees[edit]
- Assembly Commerce and Labor
- Assembly Judiciary
- Assembly Legislative Operations and Elections
- Assembly Transportation
References[edit]
- ^ "Michele Fiore's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
- ^ a b Rindels, Michelle (December 7, 2015). "Nevada lawmaker: Shooting Comments don't apply to refugees". AP. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
- ^ Kyle Roerink. "Fiore defends campus carry bill against NYC ‘anti-gun nuts’". LasVegasSun.com. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ^ "A Bid for Guns on Campuses to Deter Rape". The New York Times. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ "A true Nevada political rise". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ Assembly Bill No. 164 as enrolled. May 22, 2015. Nevada Legislature Retrieved December 31, 2015
- ^ On May 27, 2015, Governor Brian Sandoval signed the Nevada Right-to-Try Act into law, making Nevada the 18th state to pass the legislation."Nevada Becomes 18th State to Allow Terminally Ill to Access Investigational Medications". The Goldwater Institute. May 28, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ^ "Nevada Becomes 18th State to Allow Terminally Ill to Access Investigational Medications". The Goldwater Institute. May 28, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Walk the Talk with Michele Fiore" radio broadcast, February 21, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ^ a b "A lawmaker who believes saltwater and baking soda can cure cancer". Washington Post. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- ^ "Sodium Bicarbonate". American Cancer Society. Archived from the original on March 3, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ^ Assembly Bill No. 164 as introduced. February 13, 2015. Nevada Legislature Retrieved December 31, 2015.
- ^ "Vegas assemblywoman blames employee for tax liens". The Washington Times. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ "Michele Fiore removed from Assembly leadership positions". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ "Michele Fiore discusses divide between Assembly Republicans". KVVU TV - FOX 5. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
- ^ "MSNBC's Chris Hayes vs. Cliven Bundy Supporter NV Assemblywoman Michele Fiore". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
- ^ "Sean Hannity interviews Assemblywoman Michele Fiore regarding Chris Hayes and Bundy Ranch". YouTube. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
- ^ McLaughlin, Kelly (December 6, 2015). "'It's up to Americans to protect America': Republican Nevada politician arms family with guns in controversial holiday portrait to show support for the Second Amendment". Daily Mail. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
- ^ Lucas, Scott (December 7, 2015). "Michele Fiore says she wants to shoot Syrian refugees". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
- ^ "Walk the Talk with Michele Fiore - Assemblywoman Michele Fiore". Assemblywoman Michele Fiore. begins at 7:07. Retrieved 2015-12-08.
- ^ Chokshi, Niraj (December 8, 2015). "Nevada lawmaker says ‘shoot ’em in the head’ remark applied to terrorists, not refugees". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
- ^ a b Grinberg, Emanuella. "Nevada politician wishes you a Merry Christmas -- with guns." CNN.com. 2015-12-06. Retrieved 2015-12-09.
- ^ "Congressional results". nvsos.gov. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ^ "2012 Official Statewide General Election Results November 6, 2012". Carson City, Nevada: Secretary of State of Nevada. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
- ^ "2014 Official Statewide General Election Results November 4, 2014". Carson City, Nevada: Secretary of State of Nevada. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
- ^ "State of Nevada - Legislator Information". Carson City, Nevada: State of Nevada. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
