Michael Quinn Sullivan
Jan Brefczynski
The Conservative Women of Action hosted an educational seminar featuring Michael Quinn Sullivan on June 3 at the Robson Ranch clubhouse. Sullivan, a former newspaper reporter, magazine contributor, Capitol Hill staffer, and think tank vice president, is the founder of Texas’s largest grassroots activist organization. He has since returned to his journalistic roots and now serves as the publisher of Texas Scorecard, a news outlet focused on state and local government.
A dynamic and engaging speaker, Sullivan opened the session by observing that many people struggle to accept reality—particularly in the political arena. “Just look at social media,” he said. “The more we talk about how good or bad things are, the more it all gets blown out of proportion.” This tendency, he noted, distorts political perception as well. The truth is, legislators we may disagree with can sometimes pass legislation we support. It’s also true that victories can be achieved while significant work remains. Acknowledging one does not negate the other.
Sullivan shared the example of former House Speaker Dade Phelan who was losing support in his reelection campaign until a group circulated a blatant falsehood—that he was a Muslim. That single lie overshadowed the truths being told and helped sway the outcome in his favor. Once reelected, Phelan aligned moderate Republicans (RINOs) with Democrats to secure the election of his ally, Dustin Burrows, as Speaker of the House. Notably, Burrows received more votes from Democrats than from Republicans—fueling the familiar narrative that “everything is terrible.”
Sullivan emphasized the need to focus on facts. “Honesty is critical if we want to make progress,” he said. There were 1,208 bills sent to Governor Abbott during the 89th Legislative Session. Among the most significant was the long-awaited passage of school choice, a Republican goal since 1998. Remarkably, all 24 incumbents who lost their reelection bids last year had opposed school choice.
Another notable achievement was the passage of $6.5 billion in property tax relief. While Sullivan acknowledged this is not sufficient—Texas still ranks among the highest in the nation for property taxes—he also pointed out that eight of the nine states without a state income tax have lower property taxes than Texas.
Bail reform was another major legislative victory. Although not every proposed reform bill reached the governor’s desk, one key bill did, and its passage was widely praised as a historic step toward improving public safety.
Additionally, the legislature passed bills restricting land sales to foreign entities and individuals, particularly those from nations considered national security threats. These measures are now awaiting the governor’s signature.
Another important reality: Only 5% of voters participate in city and local elections. Michael Quinn Sullivan challenged us to reject the outdated notion that religion and politics shouldn’t be discussed. Instead, he encouraged us to speak up—reach out to your friends, family, and acquaintances and urge them to get to the polls.
Sullivan’s message was clear: Progress is being made, but the fight for conservative values in Texas requires both vigilance and realism.