Southwest Ambulance wants a bill passed, HB273, that would allow the company to break into the business of "inter-facility transfers"— transporting patients between hospitals and care facilities.

Utah-based Gold Cross does not want the change because they've got a lock on the lucrative inter-facility transfers. Sen. Curt Bramble, who wrote the existing law and says it took a year to hammer out a compromise, told me: "I don't support either side. But if they want to change the law, I want them to bring all the stakeholders in again."

Both sides have launched swarms of lobbyists, including former House Speaker Greg Curtis, who has whirled through the revolving door and emerged on the Gold Cross team.

More interesting is that GOP majority leader Rep. Kevin Garn's son is lobbying for Southwest along with former Republican Party Executive Director Jeff Hartley, former Utah Democratic Party Chairman Mike Zuhl and former Rep. Mark Walker. The bill's sponsor in the Senate is Sen. Steve Urquhart, who has done legal work for the company. The ambulance companies together have pumped about $200,000 into lawmakers campaign chests.