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“It’s hard for any legislator to admit that a policy they championed, and put a lot of money behind, is going to make things worse.”

That comment, from San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo, came during a Saturday panel on child care at Politifest, an annual series of debates and discussions hosted by the nonprofit newsroom Voice of San Diego.

It also highlighted how policies crafted — or not crafted — by state lawmakers in Sacramento ripple across California, impacting communities in different ways. Although the event was geared toward San Diego residents, it was impossible to miss the imprint of the state’s approach to key issues — ranging from child care to labor to homelessness — in local conditions, actions and responses.

I attended Politifest with CalMatters Editor-in-Chief Dave Lesher, where we broke down the seven statewide propositions on the Nov. 8 ballot for an in-person and online audience. (You can watch our presentation here, and don’t forget to check out CalMatters’ Voter Guide for more information!)

I also went to a bunch of different panels to see how state policies were shaping — and shaping up in — San Diego. Here are some key takeaways:

Get ready to vote: Find out everything you need to know about voting in California’s Nov. 8 election in the CalMatters Voter Guide, which includes information on races, candidates and propositions, as well as videos, interactives and campaign finance data.

Newsom just took his feud with the oil and gas industry up a notch: On Friday, the governor announced plans to call a special legislative session on Dec. 5 to consider enacting a windfall profits tax on the oil and gas industry, which he accused of “rank price-gouging” and “fleecing” consumers with sky-high costs at the pump, CalMatters’ Alexei Koseff reports. Though details remain scant, Newsom’s proposal could result in the state sending taxpayer rebates similar to those that began landing in residents’ bank accounts on Friday.

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The Democratic leaders of the state Legislature expressed what appeared to be lukewarm support for Newsom’s proclamation: “We look forward to examining the Governor’s detailed proposal when we receive it,” Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins of San Diego and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon of Lakewood said in a joint statement. Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, urged Newsom to retract his proposal and instead suspend the state gas tax.

In other car-related news: California is a hot spot for catalytic converter theft, with 37% of claims tracked by the National Insurance Crime Bureau in 2021 coming from the Golden State. Newsom just signed into law three bills that aim to crack down on catalytic converter theft, but will they really make a difference? And why did one key proposal backed by law enforcement not make it out of Sacramento? CalMatters’ Grace Gedye takes a closer look.

A telltale sign the Nov. 8 election is getting closer: In addition to the oodles of campaign flyers piling up in your mailbox, county elections offices are also required to begin sending out mail-in ballots no later than today. California’s law requiring that every active, registered voter be sent a mail-in ballot — which Newsom signed last year — has changed the nature of running for office or pushing a ballot measure: “Campaigns have to get their mailers out quicker, or increase TV advertising so it hits at the same time ballots arrive in mailboxes,” Tommy Gong, deputy county clerk-recorder for Contra Costa County, told the Mercury News. “It extends the campaign period. They have to spend more money over a month of voting versus a weekend of voting.”

Universal vote-by-mail has also increased concerns about election integrity and voter fraud in California. So, in this comprehensive explainer, CalMatters’ Sameea Kamal breaks down some of the most common voter fraud myths, takes a look at how California is safeguarding elections and fighting disinformation, explores the role of election observers and poll workers and reminds you of your rights as a voter. For more, check out Sameea’s piece.

Other election news you should know:

COVID and monkeypox have been dominating California’s public health discourse, but another serious threat has been quietly metastasizing in the background: maternal and congenital syphilis. The sexually transmitted infection is occurring at rates not seen in two decades, and California now has the country’s sixth-highest rate of congenital syphilis, with numbers increasing every year, CalMatters’ Kristen Hwang reports in this stunning, deeply reported series into the resurgence of an infection once considered nearly eradicated. Congenital syphilis — when the infection is passed from mother to baby during pregnancy — can prove fatal to the infant if left untreated.

Indeed, more than half of women who passed syphilis to their child reported receiving no or delayed prenatal care, according to a California Department of Public Health analysis of 2018 data. Half reported methamphetamine use, one-quarter reported homelessness and another quarter reported recent incarceration.

To address these complex socioeconomic situations, public health departments and community health centers across California are putting together specialized teams to find and treat pregnant patients who are often homeless or battling addiction. Kristen takes a look at one such team working in rural Shasta County.

CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: If development costs continue to soar, the land that Newsom and the Legislature have opened to housing needy families will go largely unused.

In leaked audio, L.A. council members make racist remarks, mock colleagues. // Los Angeles Times

L.A. council President Nury Martinez faces pressure to resign after racist remarks in leaked audio. // Los Angeles Times

How California’s bullet train went off the rails. // New York Times

In Gavin Newsom’s Fair Oaks backyard, proud Democrats are few and far between. // Sacramento Bee

Will new housing rules stop San Diego from building in high-fire areas? // San Diego Union-Tribune

Bay Area running out of time to convince state it can build 441,000 new homes. // Mercury News

Pandemic exodus left Bay Area with largest drop in household income in U.S. // Washington Post

For an alleged stalker of women, San Francisco is proving to be a consequence-free zone. // San Francisco Chronicle

3 deadly shootings unfolded outside Sacramento bars this year. What happens downtown at 2 a.m.? // Sacramento Bee

Oakland police want to end federal oversight. Two ‘deeply troubling’ investigations may be a setback. // San Francisco Chronicle

Sheriff corruption trial probes alleged gun-permit favoring. // Mercury News

Brooke Jenkins got paid big bucks by group linked to Boudin recall. Ethics complaint accuses her of breaking the law. // San Francisco Standard

Judge halts some prisoner transfers in California, citing violence. // Sacramento Bee

California tribes will manage, protect state coastal areas. // Associated Press

In California, one pine tree has survived for 4,800 years. // New York Times

CalMatters CEO Neil Chase selected to join LION’s independent news board of directors. // CalMatters

Tips, insight or feedback? Email emily@calmatters.org.

Follow me on Twitter: @emily_hoeven

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