So tell us, what does the job of chancellor of Georgia universities and colleges entail? Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? "The most important activity in which any governing board will be involved in is the selection of the CEO. Eric Stirgus: No, not officially, you know, because they are personnel decisions that the board makes. [7] Earlier this week, Georgia's Board of Regents announced that Sonny Perdue was the sole finalist for the job. Both elections are set for Jan. 5, though early voting began on Monday. Perdue will begin his duties as the 14th chancellor on April 1, according to a press release from USG. The former Georgia governor has a background in agriculture. The COVID-19 crisis served as yet another opportunity to promote the political fortunes of his boss, without impeding his pursuit of a pro-agribusiness, anti-worker agenda. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. He enjoys flying and, in a 2003 incident, was accused of flying a state helicopter without a license. [30], In 2001, Democratic governor Roy Barnes replaced the 1956 state flag, which incorporated the battle flag of the Confederacy, and which had been adopted by Georgia largely as a protest against desegregation. [News tape] CNN: The former president recruited the former Sen. David Perdue to mount a primary challenge to Gov. She said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. 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. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "As the vigil ended, the sun shone through what had been a cloudy morning. Has he said, "I'm supporting the guy who's pushing my candidacy for chancellor" or "I'm supporting my cousin who's running against him"? Janet Napolitano of Arizona, a Democrat, later ran the University of California system, and former Gov. [31] The choices were a modified version of the First National Flag of the Confederate States of America, with the Georgia State Seal prominently displayed inside a circle of 13 stars, or the flag created in 2001 by the Roy Barnes administration. By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners. We'll be back next week. His nomination was transmitted to the U.S. Senate on March 9, 2017. Eric Stirgus: Georgia's top elected officials constantly talk about, you know, we need workers who are college and career ready, people who can just step into jobs. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. And then a couple of months later, my colleague Greg Bluestein ran into him at an event and Sonny did say that he was interested in the position, if the regents would have him. Steve Fennessy: Sonny Perdue is a Republican, so when he uses an expression like Cultural Revolution, what is he referring to? George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III[1] (born December 20, 1946) is an American veterinarian, businessman, politician, and university administrator who served as the 31st United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021. His selection has angered professors concerned about academic freedom. The policy, according to the American Association of University Professors, is the only one of its kind in the country. Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a. The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. This is Georgia Today. He was sworn in by Supreme Court associate justice and fellow Georgian Clarence Thomas. A USDA spokesperson denied Perdue was involved and said holding such land doesnt conflict with his duties as secretary. The Board of Regents named Dr. Sonny Perdue the 14th chancellor of the University System of Georgia effective April 1, 2022. [61][62], In February 2020, Perdue endorsed putting a price on carbon dioxide, a climate change policy favored by many economists. USDA said the reorganization of Perdues finances was cleared by career ethics staff, pointing to the secretarys 2019 financial disclosure that was signed by ethics officials. You know, looking at that and he can say that Gov. Undeterred by the pandemic-led spike in hunger, Perdue also doubled- and tripled-down on a long-held goal: boosting work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that would eliminate food aid forat least 1.2 million peopleabout a third of them households containing senior citizens, nearly a quarter with children, and 11 percent with a disabled person, according tononpartisan think tank Mathematica. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) abstained, as they are first cousins. Thanks for listening. Caught in the middle of a Republican overhaul of education, teachers feel under attack, Senate bill cracks down on local school boards' ability to eject disruptive parents from meetings. A longtime Atlanta-based journalist, he is a former editor-in-chief of Atlanta magazine. He was confirmed by the Senate on April 24,[49] with Bernie Sanders and nine Democrats voting against him. Steve Fennessy: What form has that opposition taken on college campuses or in academic circles? Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. Steve Fennessy: The governor appoints the regents on the Board of Regents; there's 19 of them. Critics argued that the deal should be investigated, and speculated that ADM, which spends millions of dollars on lobbying regardless, used the property sale as a bribe for favorable treatment. Across the state, teachers have found themselves caught in a conservative battle to ban divisive topics from classrooms, which Republican lawmakers define as a various list of ideas regarding race. But last year,. I think Steve really was making maybe about a half million dollars when he retired, so that's way more than the governor of Georgia was making. In this 2017 post, I recount some of the port-related shenanigans the cousins Perdue got up to together, including launching a port-reliant export business. Sonny Perdue served two terms as governor of Georgia before being named Agriculture Secretary in the Trump administration. Faster kill lines boost packer profits even as they put already pandemic-stressed workers under greater strain, while also making proper social distancing even more difficult. [News tape] WSB: He called being named a finalist a quote wonderful capstone to a career in public service. Brian Kemp in Mays Republican primary. 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. On March 1, 2022, the Board of Regents of University System of Georgia appointed Perdue as the system's 14th chancellor, effective April 1, 2022. And Sonny Perdue was one of the only, if not the only cabinet member who went the distance in the Donald Trump administration. Perdue addressed the crowd, saying "We've come together here simply for one reason and one reason only: to very reverently and respectfully pray up a storm" and "God, we need you; we need rain." 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". I'm joined by Eric Stirgus, who covers higher education for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said today that he did not plan to step down from his Cabinet duties, amid reports that the president is getting ready to make several . [42] The floods resulted in Perdue declaring a state of emergency in 17 counties. The commitments entailed moving his holdings into a new trust and agreeing not to serve as a trustee or beneficiary of the fund. On December 30, 2016, Perdue's company AGrowStar purchased property and a facility from Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM), a large American agribusiness corporation that the Department of Agriculture regulates. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. Kemp is sort of paying back a favor. The design of the 2001 Georgian flag was widely unpopular, being derisively named the "Barnes flag". "To me it was a boondoggle because of the amount of money they were spending and the location," said Rep. Alan Powell, R-Hartwell, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. You know, he provided the money for the budget for the university system, and he understands how the system, you know, to a certain degree, you know, how the system works. [60] In August 2019, Lewis Ziska, a USDA plant physiology climate scientist, quit after department administrators attempted to impede the publication of one of his studies in the journal Science Advances. The first two companies are managed by Perdues children, according to Georgia records. Steve Fennessy: Welcome back to Georgia Today. The watchdogs question whether the sale of AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products was enough to quash all potential conflicts. "You have got to have stuff where there is a lot of traffic. 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. His nomination was transmitted to the U.S. Senate on March 9, 2017. Kemp and Perdue are also close political allies, and Kemp recently replaced four members on the board before the vote. This is diversity and inclusion. Each of those firms is owned by Perdue Business Holdings Inc., and Secretary Perdues newly created FALF Management Trust of which the secretary is a co-trustee owns 100 percent of the voting stock in Perdue Business Holdings, according to his 2019 disclosure. And I understand that he wasn't the biggest supporter of the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor. [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. [14] He defeated Republican candidate Ned Sanders in 1990 and succeeded Democratic incumbent Ed Barker as the senator representing the 18th district. I ran because I was frustrated with the government. Perdue has long been Trumps most effective advocate among rural voters, visiting all 50 states to spread the presidents message and spearheading massive taxpayer aid programs that kept farmers afloat through Trumps trade war and the pandemic. One is there was a group of students who created a group called Students against Sonny. Why is there 19? Kemp continues to be grateful for that support, and he feels some, you know, some loyalty, from what we've been hearing from our sources towards Sonny Perdue. [24], On January 18, 2017, President Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be United States secretary of agriculture. Eric Stirgus: His name is Steve Wrigley and he retired. He would not be the first governor to move into academia: Former Gov. Inexpensive, too! But the threat is part of the latest controversy for the Board of Regents, which in October approved a new policy where universities can fire tenured professors with little to no faculty input. Steve Fennessy: So the faction that was opposed or is opposed to the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor seems to be getting smaller. [1][10] He grew up and still lives in Bonaire, an unincorporated area between Perry and Warner Robins. Other issues addressed by Perdue include assisting rural communities, helping farmers operate with less regulation, increasing exports, passing the 2018 farm bill, and addressing crop damage caused by dicamba. Eric Stirgus: There are 26 institutions in the system. Not that Perdue lacks national stature - he was the governor of Georgia, a heavily agricultural state, from 2003 to 2011. Mitch Daniels of Indiana has led Purdue University since 2012. [52], During his tenure as Secretary of Agriculture, Perdue focused on helping new farmers get started in agriculture. Why are we still talking about this, then? [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. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? Eric Stirgus: Good question. The likely appointment of Mr. Perdue, a Republican, comes during a volatile time in Georgia politics, with the State Legislature considering several bills that would ban, or limit, how race and activism are taught in the classroom. [54] In December 2018, he changed the nutrition standards for school lunches to allow more refined grains, allow milk with added sugar, and increased sodium. Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, First National Flag of the Confederate States of America, North American Vexillological Association, United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, List of American politicians who switched parties in office, "Former Georgia governor tapped as Trump's agriculture secretary, sources say", "Company Overview of Perdue Partners, LLC", "BPC Congratulates Sec. The staff of Mother Jones is highlighting the years heroes and monsters. Perdue announced the final relocation site in a letter that was distributed to employees Thursday morning. You know, I guess at the time, they sort of came to an impasse and there was a search firm that was hired to help with the process, but pulled out of the process. He's a two-term former governor, Secretary of Agriculture. Eric Stirgus: I think, you know, his critics have a couple of reasons that they're concerned. In 2010, at the tail end of his second term as governor, Perdue named his cousin, David Perduewho had just stepped down as chief executive of Dollar General discount storesto the board of the Georgia Ports Authority. There, he managed a workforce of 110,000 employees in the U.S. Department of Agriculture with the stated objective of being the most efficient, effective and customer-friendly agency in the . [67], Regardless of whether the deal was intended to influence Perdue's actions, and if it was if it actually had any impact, the Perdue years were good ones for ADM. It pays pretty well. Some farmers ended up destroying perfectly good food. Eric Stirgus: Yes. Steve Fennessy: How Gov. The other election pits Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler against the Rev. Conley. This week on Georgia Today, we look at some issues Bottoms faced during her tenure as mayor with CNN national correspondentRyan Young. Presumably, some political appointees who served in the Trump administration did so with earnest intentions, hoping to bring dignity and professionalism to the task of advancing the Republican agenda of deregulation, austerity (for non-cronies), and upward wealth redistribution. Kemp. Perdue made his acting debut in "We Are Marshall," a 2006 film about the 1970 plane crash that claimed the lives of 75 Marshall University football players, coaches, supporters and staff.. Gov. 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. The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. Quite honestly, I've been in the private sector for 30 years. 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. We noticed you have an ad blocker on. The secretarys office contends he has complied with the agreement. Eric Stirgus: Well, he didn't go into specifics that day. Your support makes this possible. "[35], In 2006, Perdue signed a law that gave Georgia "some of the nation's toughest measures against illegal immigrants. Yes. David Perdue is running against Democrat Jon Ossoff in one of two runoff elections in the state that will determine control of the U.S. Senate in the next Congress. 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. Am I being naive to think that that that would be the case? That decision and the selection of Mr. Perdue are both intrusions on academic freedom, Mr. Boedy, the University of North Georgia professor, said. In his 2002 election campaign, Perdue promised that he would let the state's citizens vote to determine the state flag. The Perdue USDA also insisted that federally funded grocery boxes distributed by food banks contain a letter signed by Trump, touting the administrations coronavirus response. [45], During his governorship, the Georgia State Ethics Commission received thirteen complaints against Perdue. This is Georgia Today. These emergency benefits represent a 40% increase in . Governor Pierre Howard asking for more responsibilities, and Howard obliged. In 2011, he founded Perdue Partners, which facilitated the export of U.S. goods and services. Libertarian Garrett Michael Hayes was also on the ballot. Perdues spokesperson also rejected the watchdog groups request for an investigation as politically motivated. You know, he also backed Brian Kemp to fill the position of Secretary of State. And you know, for a lot of critics, you know, it did raise their concerns about all of this. 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.
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