- Debbie Riddle
-
Debbie Riddle Texas House of Representatives Incumbent Assumed office
2003Preceded by Paul J. Hilbert (R) Constituency District 150 (Harris County) Personal details Born October 15, 1949 Political party Republican Spouse(s) Mike Riddle Occupation horse breeder Religion Baptist Website Debbie Riddle Debbie Riddle (born October 15, 1949) is a horse breeder and Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives, serving House District 150, which comprises much of northwest Harris County.
Contents
Committees
- Appropriations
- Border & Intergovernmental Affairs
Significant legislation
In the Eightieth Texas Legislature, Representative Riddle authored House Bill 8, which was the Texas version of Jessica's Law. The bill was signed into law by Governor Rick Perry on June 15, 2007 and will become effective on September 1, 2007.
In the same session, she also authored House Bill 1034, which added the words "one state under God," to the Texas State Pledge. [1]
Pit of hell speech
In a March 6, 2003 interview with the El Paso Times, Riddle was quoted as saying:
"Where did this idea come from that everybody deserves free education, free medical care, free whatever? It comes from Moscow, from Russia. It comes straight out of the pit of hell. And it's cleverly disguised as having a tender heart. It's not a tender heart. It's ripping the heart out of this country." [1]
The quote came after a Border and International Affairs Committee meeting during the Seventy-eighth Texas Legislature, in which the state faced a budget deficit of $10 billion,[1] and was linked to a discussion Riddle had during the hearing regarding proposed health care cuts. The witness claimed that health care cuts would cause serious damage to border area hospitals, which Riddle countered with the claim that illegal immigrants were responsible for the financial strains.[1]
Riddle was further quoted as saying "In a perfect world, I think it would be wonderful to open our doors to any and all, young and old, for health care. But this isn't a perfect world. We have got to decide if we are going to just open our borders for any and all that come through for health care, education, and services."[1]
The comment was met almost instantly with both opposition and support from both ends of the political spectrum.
Texas Democrats claimed the statement was bigoted and "the product of an antipathy toward non-Anglo inhabitants of the state" and the Harris County Democratic Party called for her to resign from her position on the Border Affairs Committee.[2] The Mexican American Legislative Caucus stated that "Our constitutional mandate comes not from the pit of hell. It comes from our state's forefathers."[3]
At the same time, the Unidas Hispanic Women's Club and the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Harris County praised Riddle for the quote and honored her at a dinner at the conclusion of session. Reggie Gonzalez, chairman for the Republican Hispanic Outreach Committee of Harris County said in a press release: "The liberal opposition to Representative Riddle's comments offends me as a Hispanic citizen. Their opposition only strengthens this negative stereotype of Hispanic immigrants, by implying that they need a lower standard of accountability. This implication is detrimental to the cause of Mexican-Americans everywhere."[4]
House voting procedures
Riddle has defended the Texas House's unwritten policy to cast votes for absent and indisposed members on the basis that members of the legislature often do not get breaks to tend to any other business. She was shown on Austin's KEYE-TV voting for State Representative Edmund Kuempel. She has defended the House policy: "We have a lot of votes. We have a lot of amendments, and there's [sic] times when we don't break for lunch, and we don't break for dinner, we don't have bathroom breaks."[5]
Terror Babies
Riddle made the claim on Anderson Cooper 360 that Middle Eastern women were coming to the United States to give birth and were then returning to their home countries to raise their babies as terrorists who also had US citizenship.[6]
Personal life
Riddle lives in Tomball with her husband Mike, an attorney. In 2010, she self-published Taking Back Your Community, Your Country and Your Kids[7], which she described as, "a practical roadmap for anyone who chooses to make a difference in their country and community."[8]
Election results
2008
Texas general election, 2008: House District 150[9] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Republican Debbie Riddle (Incumbent) 43,896 64.37 -5.90 Democratic Brad Neal 22,843 33.50 +3.78 Libertarian Ken Petty 1,445 2.12 +2.12 Majority 21,053 30.87 -9.68 2006
Texas general election, 2006: House District 150[10] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Republican Debbie Riddle (Incumbent) 22,585 70.27 -29.73 Democratic Dot Nelson-Turnier 9,554 29.72 +29.72 Majority 13,031 40.55 -59.45 2004
Texas general election, 2004: House District 150[11] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Republican Debbie Riddle (Incumbent) 44,425 100.00 +0.00 Majority 44,425 100.00 +0.00 2002
Texas general election, 2002: House District 150[12] Party Candidate Votes % ±% Republican Debbie Riddle 26,174 100.00 +0.00 Majority 26,174 100.00 +0.00 External links
References
- ^ a b c d "Legislators Question Border Health", El Paso Times; March 6, 2003
- ^ Harris County Democratic Party - Message From The Chair: April 2003
- ^ The Austin Chronicle: News: Naked City: Beyond City Limits
- ^ Texas House of Representatives
- ^ Riddle comments on House voting policy.
- ^ "Video: 'Little terrorists' born in the U.S.?". CNN. http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/11/video-little-terrorists-born-in-the-u-s/.
- ^ "Terror, Baby: Debbie Riddle Stocking Stuffer", Texas Observer, December 16, 2010
- ^ Taking Back Your Country, Official Website
- ^ "2008 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
- ^ "2006 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
- ^ "2004 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
- ^ "2002 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
Members of the Texas House of Representatives 82nd Legislature (2011)
Speaker of the House: Joe Straus (R) • Speaker Pro Tempore: Beverly Woolley (R)- George Lavender (R)
- Dan Flynn (R)
- Erwin Cain (R)
- Lance Gooden (R)
- Bryan Hughes (R)
- Leo Berman (R)
- David Simpson (R)
- Byron Cook (R)
- Wayne Christian (R)
- Jim Pitts (R)
- Chuck Hopson (R)
- James White (R)
- Lois W. Kolkhorst (R)
- Fred Brown (R)
- Rob Eissler (R)
- Brandon Creighton (R)
- Tim Kleinschmidt (R)
- John Otto (R)
- Mike Hamilton (R)
- Charles Schwertner (R)
- Allan Ritter (R)
- Joe Deshotel (D)
- Craig Eiland (D)
- Larry Taylor (R)
- Dennis Bonnen (R)
- Charles F. Howard (R)
- Ron Reynolds (D)
- John M. Zerwas (R)
- Randy Weber (R)
- Geanie Morrison (R)
- Ryan Guillen (D)
- Todd Hunter (R)
- Raul Torres (R)
- Connie Scott (R)
- Jose Aliseda (R)
- Sergio Munoz, Jr. (D)
- Rene Oliveira (D)
- Eddie Lucio III (D)
- Armando Martinez (D)
- Aaron Peña (R)
- Veronica Gonzales (D)
- Richard Raymond (D)
- J. M. Lozano (D)
- John Kuempel (R)
- Jason Isaac (R)
- Dawnna Dukes (D)
- Paul D. Workman (R)
- Donna Howard (D)
- Elliott Naishtat (D)
- Mark Strama (D)
- Eddie Rodriguez (D)
- Larry Gonzalez (D)
- Harvey Hilderbran (R)
- Jimmie Don Aycock (R)
- Ralph Sheffield (R)
- Charles Anderson (R)
- Marva Beck (R)
- Rob Orr (R)
- Sid Miller (R)
- Jim Keffer (R)
- Phil King (R)
- Larry Phillips (R)
- Tan Parker (R)
- Myra Crownover (R)
- Burt Solomons (R)
- Van Taylor (R)
- Jerry Madden (R)
- Rick Hardcastle (R)
- Lanham Lyne (R)
- Ken Paxton (R)
- Susan King (R)
- Drew Darby (R)
- Doug Miller (R)
- Pete Gallego (D)
- Chente Quintanilla (D)
- Naomi Gonzalez (D)
- Marisa Marquez (D)
- Dee Margo (R)
- Joe Pickett (D)
- Tracy King (D)
- Tryon D. Lewis (R)
- Tom Craddick (R)
- Charles Perry (R)
- John Frullo (R)
- Jim Landtroop (R)
- John T. Smithee (R)
- Four Price (R)
- Warren Chisum (R)
- Jodie Anne Laubenberg (R)
- Lon Burnam (D)
- Kelly Hancock (R)
- Todd Smith (R)
- Barbara Nash (R)
- Diane Patrick (R)
- Marc Veasey (D)
- Bill Zedler (R)
- Mark Shelton (R)
- Vicki Truitt (R)
- Charlie Geren (R)
- Eric Johnson (D)
- Cindy Burkett (R)
- Stefani Carter (R)
- Rafael Anchia (D)
- Roberto R. Alonzo (D)
- Linda Harper-Brown (R)
- Rodney E. Anderson (R)
- Kenneth Sheets (R)
- Dan Branch (R)
- Helen Giddings (D)
- Barbara Mallory-Caraway (D)
- Yvonne Davis (D)
- Angie Chen Button (R)
- Joe Driver (R)
- Will Ford Hartnett (R)
- Jim Jackson (R)
- Trey Martinez Fischer (D)
- John Garza (R)
- Joe Farias (D)
- Roland Gutierrez (D)
- Ruth McClendon (D)
- Joe Straus (R)
- Lyle Larson (R)
- Michael Villarreal (D)
- Jose Menendez (D)
- Joaquín Castro (D)
- Patricia Harless (R)
- Dan Huberty (R)
- Wayne Smith (R)
- John Davis (R)
- Allen Fletcher (R)
- Alma Allen (D)
- William Callegari (R)
- Jim Murphy (D)
- Sarah Davis (R)
- Gary Elkins (R)
- Beverly Woolley (R)
- Scott Hochberg (D)
- Dwayne Bohac (R)
- Sylvester Turner (D)
- Armando Walle (D)
- Senfronia Thompson (D)
- Harold Dutton, Jr. (D)
- Ana Hernandez (D)
- Ken Legler (R)
- Carol Alvarado (D)
- Borris Miles (D)
- Garnet Coleman (D)
- Jessica Farrar (D)
- Hubert Vo (D)
- Debbie Riddle (R)
Republican (101) • Democratic (49) • Texas Legislature • Texas House of Representatives • Texas State Senate Categories:- Members of the Texas House of Representatives
- Women state legislators in Texas
- 1949 births
- Living people
- Texas Republicans
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