Among them was H.B. 2041, which would have eliminated county authority to regulate ambulance services in incorporated areas with more than 30,000 people. For Alachua County, this would mean the loss of power to regulate Gainesville's emergency medical service, Bracy said. FAC officials also harped on legislation revising the way Florida funds its court system. Ideally, said lobbyist John Ricco, states would fund their own court system. However, this is not currently the case, he said.
Counties now fund more than half the state court system.
But a newly passed piece of legislation, H.B. 1319, provides revisions to the way courts are funded. This bill will take some of the burden off Florida's counties, he said. It's not a fix-all. It's a first step. County Commissioner Chuck Clemons, who attended the briefing, also approved the bill.