Sonny Perdue Is Sole Finalist to Lead Georgias Public Universities, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/us/sonny-perdue-georgia-chancellor.html. Am I being naive to think that that that would be the case? [21] He became the first Republican governor of Georgia in 131 years since Benjamin F. [53] In August 2017, he announced a mentoring program for new farmers. Like Trump, he's a former Democratwho ascended to political power (in Perdue's case, Georgia. The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. Many credit Pierre Howard for helping Perdue build the early foundation of what would become his future political career.[20]. Opponents of the choice say Perdue's appointment would jeopardize academic freedom across the systems 26 campuses. [28] In 2008, Georgia moved up again, to 45th place. Secretary Perdue has visibility into and control over the trusts and their underlying assets, and he continues to benefit from them despite the plain terms of his 2017 ethics agreement, Evers wrote to the inspector general. Eric Stirgus: For now, we have not heard any discussion about, you know, where Sonny Perdue will ultimately fall on the governor's race. In July, with the economic fallout from the pandemic generating a massive hunger crisis, Perdue alighted on North Carolina, a key swing state, to stage a rally promoting congressionally mandated food aid as an example of the personal benevolence of Donald Trump. Eric Stirgus: Yes, Sonny Perdue backed Kemp's state Senate bid in 2002. I'm joined by Eric Stirgus, who covers higher education for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Eric Stirgus: Most of them are designated by congressional district. Former US Secretary of Agriculture and former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue were named chancellor of the University System of Georgia by the Board of Regents today (USG). Meanwhile, in 2020, the pandemic ravaged meatpacking workers and put millions out of work, causing a surge in the need for food assistanceboth very much areas of concern for the agriculture department. Not that Perdue lacks national stature - he was the governor of Georgia, a heavily agricultural state, from 2003 to 2011. The former Georgia governor has a background in agriculture. Dr. Sonny Perdue bio. American Oversight is now calling on the inspector general to investigate whether Perdue improperly participated in any such decision, given his ethics pledge to stay out of any matters that might have a direct and predictable effect on the financial interests of the assets in his trusts. The . Last month, the U.S. State Department said it will start processing more applicants seeking H-2A temporary. And you know, I think there have been a couple of state lawmakers who have publicly come out against the idea. You know, he also backed Brian Kemp to fill the position of Secretary of State. [23], In January 2003, Perdue signed an executive order prohibiting himself and all other state employees from receiving any gift worth more than $25. "The. Not satisfied with fighting to take food off the tables of poor families, Perdue also set his sights on farm workers. [24] The State Ethics Commission ruled against Perdue twice, finding that he had taken improper campaign contributions from donors including SunTrust Banks and that he had improperly used one of his family business's airplanes on the campaign, for which the commission fined the sitting governor. You know, looking at that and he can say that Gov. Trump Cabinet Member Sonny Perdue Appears To Acknowledge - HuffPost Like Trump, hes a former Democrat who ascended to political power (in Perdues case, Georgia governor) in a stunning upset. Eric Stirgus: Correct. [56] The attrition rate was particularly high in the Resource and Rural Economics Division (90%) and in the Food Economics Division (up to 89%). Steve Fennessy: Matthew Boedy, a University of North Georgia professor and president of the Georgia conference of the American Association of University Professors, told the New York Times that, quote, "a chancellor's job is to defend the system against such bills. "[37], According to a March 5, 2008, proclamation by Perdue, "Among those who served the Confederacy were many African-Americans, both free and slave, who saw action in the Confederate armed forces in many combat roles. of Agriculture", "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 115th Congress 1st Session", "Sonny Perdue Named Chancellor of the University System of Georgia", "Meet David PerdueHe Might Be Georgia's Next Senator", National Governors Association: Sonny Perdue, "Trump taps former Georgia governor for agriculture secretary", "Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue Perdue Farms Plans Major Expansion in Georgia", "Official Results of the November 5, 2002 General Election", "Ethical Lapses Trail Nominee For Agriculture Conflicts of Interest as Governor of Georgia", "3 minutes, 1 tax bill, $100,000 for Sonny Perdue", "Georgia climbs in SAT rankings despite drop in score", "2008 SAT Results Highlight Need for Rigor", "Georgia View: Sonny Perdue's Non-Legacy", "Georgia leaders try to skip controversy in flag vote", "Tom Price, Kasim Reed, Sonny Perdue and the Art of the Georgia Deal", "Statement of Governor Sonny Perdue Regarding Court Ruling to Stay Transition to Reformulated Gasoline", "Georgia Enacts a Tough Law on Immigrants", The Confederate and Neo-Confederate Reader: The "Great Truth", "Trump could name Agriculture Secretary whose drought strategy was to pray for rain", "Yes, There Were Black Confederates. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, payments on the Go Fish bonds, approved by Perdue and the General Assembly in 2007, runs through December 2027 with most payments $1 million a year in bond money. Charles S. Bullock, III, The Georgia Political Almanac, The General Assembly 199394. He was there at the end. Sonny Perdue's . Kudlow used the opportunity to fluff Trumps economic record. So tell us, what does the job of chancellor of Georgia universities and colleges entail? Steve Fennessy: Eric, you've covered higher education in Georgia for a lot of years. The new questions surrounding Perdues 2017 agreement follow his rebuke last week by the Office of Special Counsel for using a taxpayer-funded event to promote President Donald Trumps reelection, in violation of the Hatch Act. [News tape] FOX5: The choice of Perdue has already drawn criticism from student groups and university professors who describe Perdue as a career politician with no experience in higher education. And you know, for a lot of critics, you know, it did raise their concerns about all of this. Steve Fennessy: By definition, you're appointed as a regent by the sitting governor, but appointing and hiring a chancellor is supposedly, at least theoretically, not supposed to be political, right? I'm going to read a paragraph towards the end of her letter. [46] Perdue failed to disclose his ownership of the property in required financial disclosure forms. Coronavirus-riddled slaughterhouses, in turn, emerged as primary vectors for spreading the pathogen to surrounding communities. Sanders: one of the the most fun, engaging, charming, and charismatic people Ive ever been around. Perdue: he has an amazing instinctive ability to make decisions.. He stated that legitimate, measurable carbon trading could spur so-called carbon sequestration by giving farmers an incentive to innovate. You know, I've worked with him, but you know, I just didn't feel like, you know, he was the best person for the job. Listen on Apple Podcasts. The Washington Post detailed several wish-list items that ADM achieved: loosening of regulations on pork production, fewer inspections, helping lobby against proposed government bans on glyphosate by Thailand and Vietnam, and promoting ethanol and biodiesel. It's us but for your ears. Eric Stirgus: You know, and then there have been other instances where, you know, Sonny has supported now-Gov. Brian Kemp is not. Is Sonny Perdue staking out any does he have a dog in this fight, at least publicly? Perdues spokesperson also rejected the watchdog groups request for an investigation as politically motivated. United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. This is Georgia Today. So those are some of the things that have concerned a lot of state leaders or particularly on the Republican side. He won his first term in 2014 by fewer than 8 percentage points. Eric Stirgus: Yes. (Washington, D.C., April 28, 2020) - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue released the following statement after President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to keep meat and poultry processing facilities open during the COVID-19 national emergency. After serving as a member of the Houston County Planning & Zoning Commission in the 1980s, Perdue ran as a Democrat for a seat in the Georgia General Assembly. His nomination was transmitted to the U.S. Senate on March 9, 2017. Chris Saeger, a spokesperson for Accountable.US, said the reorganization of Perdues assets from one trust to another appears to be nothing more than a shell game and a maze of technicalities and denials.. Steve Fennessy: Initial discussion about the possible candidacy of Sonny Perdue for chancellor for next chancellor of the University of Georgia System, the president of SACS, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Belle Whelan, sends a letter to the chair of the Board of Regents of Georgia. [19] After his first year in office, Senator Perdue wrote then Lt. Secretary Perdue was just chastised for his abuse of tax dollars for political purposes by ethics authorities, so we cannot take these claims at face value, he said. His Democratic opponent was Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor. [45], During his governorship, the Georgia State Ethics Commission received thirteen complaints against Perdue. A Senate panel backed a bill on Tuesday that would put pressure on local school boards to adhere to the open meetings laws and create barriers to removing disruptive parents from meetings. So, you know, it'll be interesting to see. What Is Sonny Perdue Doing Now? - Vim Buzz [12], In education, Perdue promoted the return of most decision-making to the local level. Monsters of 2020: Sonny Perdue - Mother Jones Senator David Perdue (R-GA) abstained, as they are first cousins. The secretarys office contends he has complied with the agreement. She currently produces the Georgia Today and Battleground: Ballot Box shows. You know, it's kind of a fascinating situation that, you know, your cousin is running for governor and at the same time his political opponent could be putting you in charge of one of the most important positions in state government. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? [25] Perdue then used the new law on his 2004 tax return to defer $100,000 in taxable gains from the sale of land. It pays pretty well. He oversees 26 public colleges and universities with a $9.8 billion annual budget, 48,000 faculty and staff and more than 340,000 students. Why Brian Kemp wants Sonny Perdue to lead Georgia's higher ed system [67], Perdue and his wife, Mary (ne Ruff), were married in 1972 after dating for four years. On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. Georgia Public Radio GPTV, Oversight group isnt reviewing Georgia regents choice of Sonny Perdue. Eric Stirgus: Yeah, I mean, and that's the argument that many of Kemp's team has said. Eric Stirgus: Yes, I think the governor could certainly use this on the campaign trail and, you know, to, you know, David Perdue supporters and say, "Hey, look, you know, I've made Sonny Perdue, chancellor of the university system. His anti-immigrant machinations worked all too well, creating a crippling labor shortage for Georgias immigrant-dependent farms and poultry slaughterhouses. [46], In December 2004, Perdue bought $2 million worth of land near Disney World from a developer who he had previously appointed to the state's economic development board. Now to me, Eric, that sounds like a kind of an implied threat that appointing Sonny Perdue as chancellor could mean that we'd lose accreditation. At the beginning of 2020, Perdue yearned publicly for a way to cut federally mandated wages for migrant farm workers on guest visas. There's been a lot of different issues that colleges are facing regarding social issues and political issues. Looking at the pandemic, they've also had to take on some additional responsibilities, such as, you know, managing coronavirus relief funds. "[36], On November 13, 2007, while Georgia suffered from one of the worst droughts in several decades, Perdue led a group of several hundred people in prayer on the steps of the state Capitol. Entitled President Trumps Affection for American Farmers, the episode featured the host and former White House press secretary competing to see who could lavish the most praise on Trump. So very excited to have the president standing with us and I'm a lot like him.