Legal challenge puts open primary initiative in jeopardy

image
Created: 08 Mar, 2010
Updated: 13 Oct, 2022
1 min read

The California School Employees Association has filed a lawsuit to amend Proposition 14's language, and legislators, who voted for the initiative last year as part of a budget compromise, have directed their attorneys not to fight the legal challenge.  If the lawsuit is successful, critical elements of the Top Two Open Primary initiative will be stripped.  Proponents of the open primary measure are incensed and vow to mount a robust legal and public relations campaign.

The California School Employees Association, which is a major donor to the Democratic-controlled legislature, denies claims that it made a backroom deal with legislators.  Dave Low, the lobbyist representing the school union, stated, "They are trying to make a connection that doesn't exist."  Instead, Low argued that legislative attorneys, who have sided with the union, have agreed to change the initiative's language because it is "untrue" and "biased" in its current form.

Californians for an Open Primary, which includes AARP, the California Chamber of Commerce, and the California Business Roundtable has accused Democrats of using the school union to undermine the ballot initiative.  "They don't want it to pass," said Steve Merksamer, an attorney from Californians for an Open Primary.  "This measure goes to the heart of changing the system and changing their dominance." 

Governor Schwarzenegger, a staunch proponent of the open primary initiative, will attempt to thwart the lawsuit.  His spokesman, Matt David, said the deal reflects "Sacramento's dysfunction and why Californians have lost faith in its ability to solve problems.  The governor will intervene in this case to fight for the reform that Californians overwhelmingly want."

Nathan Barankin, spokesman for state Senate leader Darrell Steinberg, scoffed at suggestions that Democrats had plotted to undermine the measure, calling them "bogus".

Stay tuned to the latest developments as Proposition 14 hangs in the balance.

 

Latest articles

Two wedding rings on a dictionary opened to the definition of marriage.
Record Partisan Divide Overshadows Broad Public Support for Same-Sex Marriage
It has been 10 years since the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges opened the door for same-sex couples across the US to marry, regardless of what states banned it and what states had already legalized it....
30 May, 2025
-
3 min read
Grey ballot box with a white ballot going into it and the New Mexico flag in the background.
Opening the Door: How New Mexico Reformed Its Primary Elections and What Others Can Learn
More than 330,000 independent voters will have access to state-administered primary elections in future New Mexico elections after the legislature passed SB 16 in March to end the state’s use of closed primaries....
29 May, 2025
-
5 min read
Dean Phillips
Dean Phillips Breaks Ranks: A Firsthand Rejection of the Duopoly That Controls American Democracy
In the shadow of a damning new campaign exposé, the only elected Democrat to challenge President Biden in 2024 speaks out about what really happened and what must change....
29 May, 2025
-
5 min read