State Ex Rel. Wittler v. Yelle

When the 1963 session of the legislature increased pensions for all public school teachers retiring after the effective date of the enactment, and admonished succeeding sessions of the legislature to fund the increases from the state’s general fund for a period of 50 years, did it put the state in debt beyond the $400,000 limit fixed by Article 8, § 1, of the state constitution? The trial court, answering in the affirmative, declared the legislation unconstitutional and void, and permanently enjoined the State Auditor, State Treasurer and Board of Trustees, Washington State Teachers’…