State Ex Rel. Bolen v. City of Seattle

The question here for decision is whether the statute, Laws of 1961, chapter 140, § 1, p. 1688, authorizing pensions to widows of police department members, both of whom were deceased before the effective date of the pension act, conflicts with the thirty-fifth amendment to the state constitution (Art. 2 § 25) which prohibits the grant of extra compensation to named public servants after the services have been performed. The trial court found no conflict and ordered the widows’ pensions paid. This was error.

The statute, so far as material, is:

“Whenever any member of the police department of…