Opinion ID: 2615891
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 15

Heading: Retention of jurisdiction modified.

Text: Next, it is necessary to determine whether there was a need for the trial court to retain jurisdiction over the action and the parties. In this regard, we note the trial court's refusal to grant respondents' request to specify the relief it would give if the Legislature failed to comply with the judgment. This refusal was correctly based on the assumption that the Legislature, as a constitutional body, would comply with the constitutional mandate. Legislators, as well as judges, are sworn to support the constitution of the State of Washington and we see no reason to assume legislators will fail to act in good faith to comply with their oath. The trial court's decision to retain jurisdiction is inconsistent with the assumption that the Legislature will comply with the judgment and its constitutional duties. Consequently, we modify that portion of the judgment retaining jurisdiction over the parties and action. We have every confidence the Legislature will comply fully with the duty mandated by Const. art. 9, §§ 1 and 2 within the time specified in the judgment as here modified. Having declined to exercise our discretion to retain jurisdiction over the parties and the action, we also modify that portion of the trial court's judgment denying at this time respondents' prayer (1) for a writ of prohibition against allocation of funds to local school districts; (2) for a writ prohibiting the State Treasurer from disbursing State funds; and (3) for a judicially declared constitutional standard against which the substantive content of basic education shall be measured.