Gov. Hobbs orders flags lowered Aug. 1 for burial of former state Senate President Carl Kunasek

Flags at all state buildings will be lowered to half-staff Saturday in honor of former Arizona Senate President Carl Kunasek, who died last week. He was 94.

Kunasek, a Republican, spent decades in public service, serving in both chambers of the Arizona Legislature before later working as a federal official and state utility regulator.

“The Honorable Carl Kunasek was a dedicated public servant who cared deeply about his community and whose work improved the lives of millions of Arizonans. My condolences go out to his family. He will continue to inspire public service for years to come,” Gov. Katie Hobbs said in a Tuesday statement.

What was Arizona politician Carl Kunasek known for?

He served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 1972 to 1982 and in the Arizona Senate from 1983 to 1989. He was Senate president from 1987 to 1989, according to the Arizona State Library.

Kunasek helped craft the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, known as AHCCCS, which serves as the state’s Medicaid program. Before entering public office, he owned and operated three Mesa pharmacies from 1966 to 1983. He also served in the U.S. Air Force as a first lieutenant.

President George H.W. Bush appointed Kunasek in 1990 as commissioner of the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation. He later served on the Arizona Corporation Commission from 1995 to 2000.

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