Kyle Biedermann

Kenneth Kyle Biedermann, known as Kyle Biedermann (born April 30, 1959), is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 73, which encompasses Comal, Gillespie, and Kendall counties in the eastern portion of the Texas Hill Country. Biedermann owns and operates a hardware store within the district.

Kyle Biedermann
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 73rd district
Assumed office
January 10, 2017
Preceded byDoug Miller
Personal details
Born
Kenneth Kyle Biedermann

(1959-04-30) April 30, 1959
Political partyRepublican
ResidenceFredericksburg, Texas USA
OccupationBusinessman, Owner, Biedermann Ace Hardware, Fredericksburg, Texas

During his 2016 campaign, Biedermann received public criticism for his Halloween outfit of 'Gay Hitler' pictures of which were published by local media.[1]

Biedermann defeated incumbent Doug Miller, chairman of the Special Purpose District Committee, on May 24, 2016 in the Republican primary runoff election.[2] Biedermann polled 10,481 votes (55.4 percent) to Miller's 8,438 (44.6 percent).[2] Biedermann faced no Democratic opponent in the November 2016 general election.

Biedermann won his second House term in the general election held on November 6, 2018. With 69,006 votes (74.8 percent), he defeated Democrat Stephanie Phillips, who polled 23,237 votes (25.2 percent).[3]

Legislative voting record & positions

Immigration

Biedermann supported SB 1252, otherwise known as the Interstate Compact for Border Security, which would have given the State of Texas the power to enforce the State's own border protection laws.[4] In addition, he voted in favor of the Schaefer Amendment of SB 4 which banned Sanctuary Cities and fully funded an increase in border security funding.[5] Biedermann also voted to end benefits for illegal immigrants as well as penalizing employers who do not use E- Verify and allow law enforcement to check the legal status of detained individuals.

Abortion

Bierdermann describes himself as pro-life, voting on numerous pieces of legislation to restrict or prohibit the practice of abortion in the state of Texas. He voted in favor of Amendment 76 (Krause Amend.) of SB1 which increased funding for the Alternatives to Abortion Program by $20,000,000.[6] He also voted on the 2nd and 22nd Amendment of SB 8 which would have banned a procedure known as "dismemberment abortions" and the abolishment of late term abortions for children with disabilities (respectively).[7][8] For his strict pro-life voting record, the organization Texas Right to Life gave him a perfect score during the 85th legislative session.[9]

Property Tax Reform

A strong supporter of property tax reform, Biedermann has voted on multiple pieces of legislation regarding the reformation of current property tax plans in the state of Texas. He voted against HB 486, a bill that would have made it easier for school districts to raise property taxes without first getting voter approval.[10] He voted against SB 1 RV #164, a motion that killed 3 amendments that would have expanded property tax reform.[11] Additionally, he voted in favor of HB 208 RV #155, a bill designed to cap growth in state spending at the rise of population plus inflation.[12]

Secession

Biedermann is in favor of the secession of Texas from the Union. In late 2020, he said he was committed to submitting a bill to the legislature to begin the process.[13] On January 26, 2021, Biedermann filed the Texas Independence Referendum Act (HB 1359), a bill to secede from the United States, allowing Texans the opportunity for self-determination.[14]

Legislative Ratings
Biedermann Legislative Rankings by Policy Groups
Year Empower Texans Young Conservatives of Texas Texas State Rifle Association Texas Right to Life
2017 96 (A+) 89 (B+) 100 (A+) 100 (A+)

Criticism

During the primary campaign, a photo surfaced of Biedermann dressed up as a Saturday Night Live character for a charity event in 2008. He was criticized by the Anti-Defamation League.[1]

In January 2017, Biedermann sent a survey to Muslim leaders asking them questions about their interpretations of Islam in preparation for a "Homeland Security Summit". The surveys were distributed as part of a campaign designed to expose "radical Islamic terrorism in Texas", and preceded a forum Mr. Biedermann held at the State Capitol, scheduled to coincide with Texas Muslim Capitol Day, an educational event.[15][16][17][18] The episode attracted critical media coverage and condemnation by civil rights advocates.[15][19][20]

References
  1. Chasnoff, Brian (March 30, 2016). "GOP Texas House candidate dressed as 'Gay Hitler'". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  2. Mekelburg, Madlin; Reynolds, John (May 24, 2016). "The Brief: Low Turnout in Runoffs Nonetheless Yields Notable Results". The Texas Tribune.
  3. "Election Returns". Texas Secretary of State. November 6, 2018. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  4. "SENATE JOURNAL" (PDF). www.journals.senate.state.tx.us/sjrnl. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  5. "SENATE JOURNAL" (PDF). www.journals.senate.state.tx.us/sjrnl. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  6. "Session transcript" (PDF). www.journals.house.state.tx.us. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  7. "Session transcript" (PDF). www.journals.house.state.tx.us. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  8. "Session transcript" (PDF). www.journals.house.state.tx.us. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  9. "Scorecard" (PDF). www.texasrighttolife.com. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  10. "Session transcript" (PDF). www.journals.house.state.tx.us. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  11. "Session transcript" (PDF). www.journals.house.state.tx.us. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  12. "Session transcript" (PDF). www.journals.house.state.tx.us. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  13. Knight, Drew (December 10, 2020). "'Texit' | Representative says he is committed to filing legislation allowing Texas to secede". WXIA-TV. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  14. "Herman: Texas secession bill filed in House". Austin American-Statesman. January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  15. Montgomery, David; Fernandez, Manny (January 26, 2017). "Texas Muslims Voice Concerns After Inflammatory Survey and Forum". The New York Times.
  16. Ura, Alexa (January 19, 2017). "Texas lawmaker sends letter to "Islamic Leaders" surveying their beliefs". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  17. Grissom, Brandi (January 19, 2017). "State lawmaker sends Shariah law 'poll' to Texas mosques". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  18. Ura, Alex; Samuels, Alex (January 26, 2017). "At Texas Muslim Capitol Day, supporters form human shield around demonstrators". The Texas Tribune.
  19. Burke, Terri (January 25, 2017). "An Open Letter to Rep. Kyle Biedermann of Fredericksburg on Your Demand That Texas Muslims Sign a Loyalty Oath". ACLU of Texas. American Civil Liberties Union.
  20. Goodman, Amy (January 30, 2017). "Hundreds of Texas Muslim Leaders Receive Alarming Survey Investigating Their Views on Islam". Democracy Now!.
Texas House of Representatives
Preceded by
Doug Miller		 Texas State Representative for District 73
(Comal, Gillespie, and Kendall counties)
2017 –		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
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