Tennessee Republican state Rep. Curry Todd, who once compared undocumented immigrants to "rats" was arrested in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday night and charged with drunken driving and possession of a handgun under the influence.
At around 11:15 Tuesday night, Rep. Todd was stopped in his GMC Envoy in Nashville. The AP reports that he allegedly failed a roadside sobriety test and refused to take a breathalyzer. A loaded Smith & Wesson 38 Special was also allegedly found in his vehicle.
The AP adds that Todd is also a lead sponsor of a bill that would allow handgun carry permit holders to bring guns into bars.
Todd asked a panel of prenatal health care officials in November 2010 whether patients need to show proof of citizenship to be accepted for treatment. One woman replied that that was not allowed under federal guidelines, since children born on United States soil automatically become citizens under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, regardless of their parents' immigration status.
"They can go out there like rats and multiply, then," he responded (see video above). He later said that he was "wrong" to use that language and said he should have used the term "anchor babies" instead.
Todd was booked into a Davidson County jail after the arrest.
