Tag: HB 2256

After Raucous Legislative Hearing Naming Family Court Judges, Hobbs Vetoes Family Court Reform Bill

Rachel Alexander
Mark Finchem

Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed HB 2256 on Monday, a bill that would have reformed family court. Sponsored by State Representative Rachel Keshel (R-Tucson) and amended by State Senator Mark Finchem (R-Prescott), the bill prohibits a court from ordering a party against their will to pay for and work with a therapist, known as “therapeutic intervention” (TI). Prior to her veto, Finchem, chair of the Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Family Court Orders, conducted a long hearing with Keshel addressing the problems with family court.

Hobbs issued a brief letter explaining her veto. “Today, I vetoed House Bill 2256,” she said. “In an attempt to address one specific situation, this proposal would result in unintended consequences that may result in more harm than good.” 

Read the full story

Bill Advances in Arizona Legislature Stopping Courts from Ordering Paid Therapy for Parents After Divorce

Rachel Alexander

A Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Family Court Orders met on Monday to discuss reforming the family court system. The committee focused on complaints about “therapeutic intervention” (TI), when courts order a therapist to deal with parents who have split up. HB 2256, sponsored by State Representative Rachel Keshel (R-Tucson) and amended in a striker bill by State Senator Mark Finchem (R-Prescott), would prohibit a court from ordering a party against their will to pay for and work with one of these individuals.

The hearing was part of a series of hearings looking into family court problems that will extend through the summer. The Arizona Legislature issued a press release about the hearing afterwards. “As a legislator and a mother, I can’t stay silent while Arizona families are being torn apart behind closed courtroom doors,” said Keshel. “What we heard in the committee was heartbreaking — but not surprising. Parents are being silenced, children are being traumatized, and the people responsible hide behind the bench or a therapy license. We have a duty to expose this abuse and fix a system that no longer serves the best interests of the child.”

Read the full story