On Wednesday, the legislators donned lapel stickers showing a man struggling from a pit of burning brimstone with the caption, "I'm from the pit of hell."

First-term Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Houston, drew the heat for comments she made last week to the El Paso Times. The newspaper interviewed her after she blasted health care for illegal immigrants during a House committee hearing.

"Where did this idea come from that everybody deserves free education, free medical care, free whatever?" she said in the Times interview. "It comes from Moscow, from Russia. It comes straight from the pit of hell.

"And it's cleverly disguised as having a tender heart. It's ripping the heart out of this country."

Hispanic lawmakers described Riddle's comments as "culturally insensitive" and "immigrant bashing."

Riddle said her intent was not to attack an ethnic group, but to question whether U.S. taxpayers are obligated to provide services or education for illegal immigrants.

State Rep. Kino Flores, D-Mission, one of the lawmakers passing out the stickers, said he was not attacking Riddle but wanted to point out how Hispanics find her comments offensive.

"I'm going to give her a blue star for immigrant bashing," Flores said. "As a minority, it's disappointing to come to 2003 and there are still people that have that kind of feeling in their heart."

Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, chairman of the Mexican-American Caucus, said he found her comments "hurtful."

Gallego said many Hispanic lawmakers took her statements to be aimed not just at immigrants, but at all poor people who receive government services.

"She was painting with a very broad brush," Gallego said.

Gallego noted that the state constitution requires a free public education system and authorizes the state to provide care for the poor and needy.

Riddle said her comments were aimed at illegal immigrants.

"We cannot afford to open our borders for any and all, though that might be a wonderful thing to do," Riddle said. "We need to educate our American children and legal residents first."

Riddle said she is trying to represent the thinking of her north Harris County constituents. Her district has a mean family income of $79,800, according to the 2000 Census. The statewide mean income is about $55,000.

Her district is predominantly white, with 14 percent of the population Hispanic and 10 percent black.

Riddle said when she was campaigning door-to-door last year she met a man who said he was about to lose his business because of high taxes. She said she thinks of him when making her decisions.

Riddle said she took the lapel stickers as good-natured political jousting.

"It's a humorous gesture," Riddle said. "I don't think it was done in a mean-spirited way."