Yes. Why Brian Kemp wants Sonny Perdue to lead Georgia's higher ed system At least he is out of the gate. Janet Napolitano of Arizona, a Democrat, later ran the University of California system, and former Gov. Steve Fennessy: What did you think when you first heard about that? I'm Steve Fennessy. Similarly, while the pandemic savaged meatpacking workers, killing at least 563 as of mid-December, the ag department kept on with a trend it had started in 2019: allowing giant poultry companies to speed up their slaughterhouse kill lines. [48], During meetings with Georgia state port officials, then-Governor Perdue discussed his family business's use of a terminal, then started a new export company in Savannah soon after leaving office. [28] In 2008, Georgia moved up again, to 45th place. A former two-term governor of Georgia, George Ervin Perdue III, known throughout his life as Sonny, served as Agriculture Secretary from 2017 to 2021. [3], In 2006, Perdue was re-elected to a second term in the 2006 Georgia gubernatorial election, winning nearly 58% of the vote. Steve Fennessy: As you said, Sonny Perdue persuaded Donald Trump when he was president to endorse Brian Kemp. [News tape] CNN: The former president recruited the former Sen. David Perdue to mount a primary challenge to Gov. Steve Fennessy: This has been percolating for a while now, Eric: this this idea of Sonny Perdue as the next chancellor of the University of Georgia system. I'm going to read a paragraph towards the end of her letter. Ethics authorities have already issued warnings to a dozen Trump administration officials for violating the Hatch Act, but Perdues straightforward appeal to reelect Trump was seen as especially flagrant. His selection has angered professors concerned about academic freedom. [News tape] Alex Ames, student activist, FOX5: And as governor, he chose to defund billions of dollars and begin, you know, a decades-long spree of defunding from our teachers and, you know, students and parent schools that we attend every day. Kemp and Perdue are also close political allies, and Kemp recently replaced four members on the board before the vote. Although it returned to last place in 2005,[26] Georgia rose to 49th place in 2006 in the combined math and reading mean score, including the writing portion added to the test that year. But then prior to him, you had Errol Davis, who was a utilities company executive and he had no administrative experience in higher education. He spent his 2020 like he spent the other years of his Washington stint: flattering his boss at every opportunity, and lavishing largesse on political allies while undercutting poor people and food-system workers. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and The staff of Mother Jones is highlighting the years heroes and monsters. That decision and the selection of Mr. Perdue are both intrusions on academic freedom, Mr. Boedy, the University of North Georgia professor, said. He also talked about, you know, bringing stability to the system. A USDA spokesperson denied Perdue was involved and said holding such land doesnt conflict with his duties as secretary. Is that right? They have to be in charge of making sure that the schools comply with federal education policies and procedures, state education rules and regulations. In 2005, Georgia state Rep. Larry ONealPerdues personal lawyermanaged to pass what the Atlanta Journal-Constitution called a seemingly mundane tax bill thatincluded a a last-minute change that saved the governor an estimated $100,000 in state taxes. Our engineers are Jesse Nighswonger and Jake Cook. I understand that the Board of Regents, at least in its previous iteration, was not necessarily too keen on the idea of Sonny Perdue as the next chancellor, is that correct? 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. Is Sonny Perdue staking out any does he have a dog in this fight, at least publicly? And then also, you know, maybe among some who might be interested in working for the university system. [News tape] FOX5: Students against Sonny have collected more than a thousand signatures on a petition on Change.org. And you know, for a lot of critics, you know, it did raise their concerns about all of this. Sonny Perdue issues state of emergency for 17 Georgia counties", "Perdue fails to disclose '04 purchase of land", "Trump to announce Sonny Perdue for Agriculture", "Sonny Perdue Sworn in as 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture", "Trump hires campaign workers instead of farmworkers at USDA", "Sonny Perdue is Trump's 'designated survivor' for State of the Union 2018", "Perdue tells second Iowa Ag Summit he wants to support new farmers", "Trump administration to return refined grains to school lunches", Many USDA workers to quit as research agencies move to Kansas City: 'The brain drain we all feared', ERS union predicts mass exodus ahead of relocation, 'Cut, Relocate, Eviscerate': Moving a USDA Research Agency Will Have Lasting Consequences, Employees Say, Economists flee Agriculture Dept. Jess Mador is our producer. publicly condemned how the university system selected Mr. Perdue, will be the first woman to head the institution, a large-scale, low-cost online Master of Science degree program. earned Perdue a knuckle-rap from the Office of Special Counsel, publicly for a way to cut federally mandated wages, lavished mainly huge soybean, hog, and cotton farmers, more than double the price tag of President Barack Obamas 2009 auto bailout, join us with a tax-deductible donation today. 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. Steve Fennessy: Well, there was also some changes that happened on the board itself, right? By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners. Steve Fennessy: You mentioned that there's a long political history between Sonny Perdue and Brian Kemp. It's us but for your ears. Jess Mador is the lead podcast producer at GPB News. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. He won his first term in 2014 by fewer than 8 percentage points. Eric Stirgus: Now, you know, conversely, his supporters say he was a governor of Georgia for eight years. USDAs unprecedented farm subsidies have also fueled criticism that taxpayer dollars are being used to keep farmers and ranchers in Trumps corner ahead of the election especially as the president repeatedly touts the money at campaign rallies as his own personal gift to agriculture. Listen on Apple Podcasts. [23], In January 2003, Perdue signed an executive order prohibiting himself and all other state employees from receiving any gift worth more than $25. Latest news, headlines, analysis, photos and videos on Sonny Perdue [67], Perdue's assets during his time as Secretary were placed in blind trusts, as is common to prevent financial conflicts of interest. I ran because I was frustrated with the government. Perdue, a former US senator, has so far raised a fraction of what Kemp has in his campaign war chest. Eric Stirgus: Yes, definitely. Eric Stirgus: Yes, Sonny Perdue backed Kemp's state Senate bid in 2002. The sole vote against him came from Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). You know, he was brought on actually, you know, during Sonny Perdue's tenure to take on the job. Eric Stirgus: There are 26 institutions in the system. Sonny Perdue is cousins with David Perdue, who is now engaged in a bitter primary battle against Brian Kemp Brian Kemp, who, of course, is backing Sonny Perdue. Georgia Today: Is Mayor Bottoms Paying The Political Cost For A COVID Crime Wave? Once again, left-leaning organizations like American Oversight will do anything they can to stop this administration from helping the American people, the spokesperson said. Eric Stirgus: He has some interest in the job because, you know, he realizes the importance of higher education to the state's economy. The secretarys office contends he has complied with the agreement. Sonny Perdue Is Sole Finalist to Lead Georgia's Public Universities [57] Current and former employees of the ERS were strongly critical of the relocation to Kansas City, saying the resulting exodus of scientific and economic talent caused disruption to federal research, especially on climate change and food security. Sonny Perdue and Brian Kemp have a longstanding relationship politically, and then you have Sonny Perdue's cousin who is running against the governor now in the GOP primary. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources figures showed 21,101 people visited the Perry facility in fiscal 2015, which ended June 30. So tell us, what does the job of chancellor of Georgia universities and colleges entail? The administration began acquiring bond money for the Go Fish Education Center near his home in Perry, GA. "[35], In 2006, Perdue signed a law that gave Georgia "some of the nation's toughest measures against illegal immigrants. The Georgia Board of Regents on Tuesday named former governor and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue as the sole finalist to lead the state's University System. Eric Stirgus: You know, he's never spoken publicly about it. So you've had recently, you know, the Board of Regents members serve seven-year terms. Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. Brian Kemp is in a fierce battle with David Perdue. The crux of the watchdog complaint comes down to a handful of Perdues businesses the secretary reported as sources of income, at least a half-million dollars, on his 2019 filing. The first two companies are managed by Perdues children, according to Georgia records. What does it mean to be a chancellor? David Perdue is saying, "I'm the big Trump guy here." Higher education is where I wanted to have a real impact as governor, only to be stymied by twin recessions, he said in the board-issued statement. Steve Fennessy: So what happened then? Later, FALF Management Trust was created. USDA To Implement President Trump's Executive Order On Meat and Poultry Let's go into November and be against Stacey Abrams together.". He switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 1998 and was re-elected to the State Senate as a Republican. Sonny Perdue Facts - Who Is Sonny Perdue, Trump's Agriculture Secretary Economists in the USDA's research branch were told to include disclaimers in their peer-reviewed publications stating that the findings were "preliminary" and "should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy". [46] After the state dropped out of the bidding and the land was sold to developers, the value of Perdue's property more than doubled. Sonny Perdue is a rarity: A Trump Cabinet member who went the - ajc Eric Stirgus: You know, it's a pretty important job in the state of Georgia. So those are some of the things that have concerned a lot of state leaders or particularly on the Republican side. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title.
— Actualités —