An ugly intraparty brawl has broken out among Republicans in the Arizona state legislature, and it’s put family court reform on the brink of collapse.
Republican State Senator Mark Finchem chaired the ad hoc joint committee on family court orders in 2025.
After the committee finished, it produced a report, State Senator Finchem told us, and from the report, he authored legislation- thirteen bills in total.
Those bills then traveled to the Arizona House, where they were killed, State Senator Finchem told us, by the Chair of the Judiciary Committee- Arizona Republican State Representative Quang Nguyen.
The bills provided sweeping reforms, including jury trials, lawsuit reform, and even payment reform, State Senator Finchem told us.
Worse yet, he said that State Representative Nguyen killed the bills because of personal animus.
Just as the interview got going, State Representative Nguyen called in and gave his side of the story.
He said it was not personal, but that he spoke with multiple advocates and victims who warned him the bills would hurt domestic abuse survivors.
He read from emails from victims and advocates, and in the emails, the advocates, not named, were opposed to State Senator Finchem’s bills.
“These are bad bills,” he said. “It is my job to be the frickin chairman and kill bad bills.”
Below, State Representative Nguyen read from an email he received from an advocate opposing State Senator Finchem’s bills.
During the interview State Representative Nguyen channeled in his inner Michael Volpe and explained his opposition to a proposed 50/50 shared parenting bill. He noted that an advocate told him such a presumption would create a one size fits all model, including in cases of domestic violence.
The 50/50 bill was not one sponsored by State Senator Finchem, who previously told us he is against that philosophy.
When asked about the jury trials bill- which State Senator Finchem did sponsor- State Representative Nguyen was far less clear about his opposition.
“They’re a poison pill,” he told us.
State Representative Nguyen also claimed that State Representatives Lisa Fink and Rachel Keshel both encouraged him to kill Finchem’s bills.
Representatives Fink and Keshel were part of the ad hoc committee so advocating against these bills would be significant.
State Senator Finchem spoke with State Representative Fink, and he told us that she did not advocate for killing the bills but wanted to add amendments.
State Representative Keshel told me the same thing when we spoke.
She was worried that needed reform would disintegrate over this food fight.
She said there was still a chance to get the bills passed by adding them to other bills which may be introduced in other committees; however, the legislative session is near its end.
There may be political ramifications as well.
Last month, we interviewed Republican State Senator Wendy Rogers who predicted that Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs would veto any family court reform bills which made it to her desk.
Republicans saw an opportunity to paint Governor Hobbs as anti-family in the November 2026 election. If no bills make it to her desk, that talking point goes away.
