State Ex Rel. Progress v. First Judicial District Court

From a consideration of the pronounced policy of the law against retrospective legislation, there has been evolved a strict rule of construction in this regard. There is always a presumption that statutes are intended to operate prospectively only, and words ought not to have a retrospective operation unless they are so clear, strong, and imperative that no other meaning can be annexed to them, or unless the intention of the legislature cannot be otherwise satisfied. Every reasonable doubt is resolved against a retroactive operation of a statute. If all of the language of a statute can be…