Happy Prime Days. Quite the barrage of intense news since Sunday. So let’s start with some good vibes.

State Rep. Jacey Jetton, a Katy Republican, surprised his son upon returning from active military duty. Jetton, a member of the Army National Guard, was called to active duty in the summer.

And you already know this, but the Texas Rangers sealed a trip to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2011. Which means that if the Astros win tonight, it’s an all-Texas battle for the AL Pennant.

Feeling good? Okay. Into the chaos we go.

Quotable

Prevailing Themes: !!!!!!!!!!!!!

The vibes in Austin are not mellow. And I’ll get to that below.

For now, I’m going to explore a question I’ve been asking myself since before the madness started. Because I can.

You know that old Texas political saying: “The Lieutenant Governor is the most powerful state official in Texas.”

Why is that?

Why does a junior member of the executive department hold so much legislative power?