The courts resolved a slew of disputes about the initiatives over the last few days.  As we mentioned recently, Prop 14, the “open primary” measure that would result in a lot more Dem-on-Dem fights, was the subject of much legal wrangling.

In the end, Prop 14 will largely stay the same:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other supporters said they beat back an effort by union officials and lawmakers to undermine the proposal that would allow Californians to vote in state primaries regardless of candidates’ or voters’ party affiliations.

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The governor and state Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) intervened to stave off the changes. Superior Court Judge Allen Sumner ruled Friday that voters should see the measure very much as it was originally written. Sumner made minor changes to the wording regarding potential costs related to an open primary and made clear that voters would not have to state a party preference. (LA Times)

Meh, the language that was passed during the budget fight was passed at Maldonado and Arnold’s gunpoint. It should have been changed, but them’s the breaks. It means that more resources will need to be spent to beat this stinker.  As of right now, it looks like both major parties will officially oppose the measure.

On Prop 17, Mercury Insurance’s hidden agendas scheme against Prop 103, the court ruled that ballot arguments will stand:

Judge Allen Sumner has upheld Attorney General Jerry Brown’s Official Title and Summary of Proposition 17, which warns the measure will allow car insurers to raise premiums.  The ruling means voters will learn in the ballot pamphlet that Prop 17 will allow insurance companies to raise rates on California drivers based on their history of buying auto insurance.

Attorneys for Mercury Insurance failed as it tried to convince the court to remove any reference to the insurance surcharges that Prop 17 will create.  Consumer advocates hailed the decision as a victory for voters, who will have the opportunity to cut through Mercury’s multi-million dollar campaign of lies and read a fair assessment of the insurance company’s initiative in the Voter Guide.

“When voters face the deceptive, multi-million dollar insurance company ad campaign for Prop 17, at least they’ll be able to turn to Attorney General Brown’s summary to learn the truth,” said consumer advocate Harvey Rosenfield who co-authored one of the ballot arguments against Prop 17.  “Now that the Judge has made it clear that Prop 17 lets insurance companies raise car insurance premiums, will the insurance company backers of Prop 17 stop lying about it?” (Press Release)

Now, the ballot arguments aren’t nearly as important as the ballot title and summary, but every little bit helps.

Speaking of the initiatives, if anybody has a point for the Calitics Editorial Board to consider for these things, let us know. We’ll be doing endorsements soon.