Bradley talks court funding.

Still months before the 2013 legislative session, the new chair of the Florida Senate's Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Subcommittee said it's unclear whether there's room for optimism when it comes to funding for state courts.

"The three-year outlook gives us reason to be optimistic, but there are going to be many issues that will shape our decisionmaking which are not contemplated in this kind of rosy outlook," said Sen. Rob Bradley, as he spoke at The Florida Bar's Board of Governors meeting in December on Amelia Island.

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The newly elected Republican senator from Orange Park has been a practicing attorney for 15 years. His district includes Alachua, Bradford, and Clay counties.

Bradley said two issues could significantly impact the upcoming budget. One is the Supreme Court's ruling on a lawsuit challenging a law passed in 2011 that requires all state employees pay 3 percent toward their pensions. If the challenge is successful, the state could be required to repay the funds it has collected, with interest, Bradley said.

Fiscal cliff negotiations in Washington, D.C. could also have implications for Florida, he said.

"The word from the experts this week is that if they do not come to an agreement of any sort and all the mandatory cuts go into effect, that's going to have a big impact on the jobs of many Floridians that are part of the defense industry." (An agreement was reached as this News went to press.)

Bradley said that circumstance could produce a "ripple effect" on the state's economy, hurting sales tax and other revenue streams.

"This causes all of us to have great caution," he said. "If both turn out well, we should not be in the position of doing the things we've had to do...