Michael Quinn Sullivan: There Needs to Be More Citizen Involvement in Government [Interview]

Michael Quinn Sullivan from Empower Texans and Texans for Financial Responsibility joined The Chad Hasty Show live from Representative John Frullo's office.

Sullivan talked with Chad about a program that is offered to citizens every Tuesday morning during state legislative sessions. The program, called First Amendment Tuesday, is hosted by Empower Texans, Texas Right to Life, Texas Home School Coalition, Texas Eagle Forum, Concerned of American and Texas Values.

The program is designed to better inform the average citizen on their First Amendment rights and assist people in knowing more about the legislative rules and processes, how to testify in the legislature and how to approach lawmakers and their staff.

"Make no mistake, you and I are supposed to be in charge," said Sullivan. "Our system of government was not designed for the citizens to be disengaged. Our system of government was designed for an active, involved and educated population. We need more folks involved in the process, not fewer."

First Amendment Tuesday is held in the La Quinta hotel on the southeast corner of the capitol property at 9 a.m.

Sullivan and Hasty also talked about the current legislative session and the budget that is being worked out, as well as potential tax relief.

Governor Greg Abbott has stated that he will veto any budget that does not include "significant" tax relief. Abbott has submitted a budget proposal that included $4.2 billion in tax cuts.

Sullivan noted that despite of how Texans perceive themselves, the Lone Star State actually shoulders a lot of debt.

"Texas has, and we like to think of ourselves as a small-government, efficient-government state, but when we look at the matter of state debt, Texas has the second highest debt per capita when you look at state and local debt combined," Sullivan explained.

Watch Chad Hasty's interview with Michael Quinn Sullivan in the video above.

Michael Quinn Sullivan is the president and CEO of Empower Texans. The organization’s premier project is Texans for Fiscal Responsibility. First Amendment Tuesday is held in the La Quinta hotel on the southeast corner of the capitol property at 9 a.m.

The Chad Hasty Show airs weekday mornings live, from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM and Saturdays 2 PM to 4 PM on News/Talk 790 KFYO, online at KFYO.com, and on the free RadioPup app. Follow Chad on Twitter via @ChadHastyRadio & KFYO Radio at @KFYO!