By Howard Fischer
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/knau/local-knau-719519.mp3
Phoenix, AZ – State senator Jake Flake died Sunday at his home. Arizona Public Radio's Howard Fischer reports.
His death came two weeks after Flake broke eight ribs when he was
bucked a horse. First elected to the House in 1996, he served two
years as speaker before moving to the Senate in 2005. His nephew,
Congressman Jeff Flake said the family's political involvement
began with Jake's grandfather, who shared the same name as the
state lawmaker. As the younger Flake tells it, his great-
grandfather was shot through the ear by an outlaw.
(So he had a bad ear. So he would sit very close to a radio late
at night in what's called the Big House in Snowflake, the old
Flake home, and listen to current events, and listen to, very
interested in politics. So we had a family interest from way
back.)
One of the things Flake was working on when he died was trying to
overturn an order by Gov. Janet Napolitano directing the
Department of Environmental Quality to adopt greenhouse gas
emission standards for cars and trucks. But the governor, in a
prepared statement, called Flake -- quote -- a leader of great
strength and wisdom who worked with passion on behalf of the
people of Arizona.
For Arizona Public Radio, this is Howard
Fischer.