Delegates to the Secession Convention in Milledgeville voted 208-89 in favor of seceding from the United States on January 19, 1861.
Robert E. Lee was born on January 19, 1807 at at Stratford Hall Plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia the son of a former Congressman and Governor of Virginia.
On January 19, 1871, Savannah, Georgia became the first city to recognize Robert E. Lee’s Birthday as a public holiday.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Governor Nathan Deal appointed Ashley Wright as a Judge for the Superior Court for the Augusta Judicial Circuit. Prior to being appointed to the bench, Wright served as District Attorney for the August Circuit.
Deal also made a wager with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker on the NFC Championship game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Green Bay Packers.
“Given the Atlanta Falcons’ stellar season under the leadership of Coach Dan Quinn and soon-to-be MVP and Pro Bowler Matt Ryan, I’m confident Falcons’ fans will be celebrating another win on Sunday,” said Deal. “The additional five Falcons named to the 2017 Pro Bowl roster—Vic Beasley Jr., Matt Bryant, Devonta Freeman, Julio Jones and Alex Mack—will help ensure a strong victory, bringing the Packers’ winning streak and season to an end. We are excited to host the Packers at the Georgia Dome. Given Sunday’s forecast, which is 68 degrees, our guess is that many Packers fans are excited too. Falcons fans, let’s get ready to cheer our home team on to victory and show the world what it means to Rise Up.”
“The Green Bay Packers are on a roll and have what it takes to go all the way this season,” said Gov. Walker. “The Falcons are going to be a tough opponent, but with the leadership of Mike McCarthy, the dedication and teamwork of the players, and, of course, our secret weapon – Aaron Rodgers, I am confident the Packers will pull out yet another ‘W’ in Atlanta. This Sunday, all of Packer Nation will be cheering on our team to victory.”
The wager:
In the unlikely event of a loss, Deal wagered ice-cold Coca Cola (which is not “pop”), chili dogs from The Varsity, peach pies from Dickey Farms, Georgia peanuts and two six-packs of Creature Comforts’ Tropicalia.
Gov. Walker wagered two six-packs of Leinenkugel’s Wisconsin Red Pale Ale, a box of assorted chocolates from Seroogy’s Chocolates in De Pere, jars of liquid and spreadable crystal raw honey from Wisconsin Natural Acres in Chilton, assorted Wisconsin artisan cheeses, crackers, and sausage, and a pair of Travel Wisconsin Old Fashioned glasses.
Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue will be named Secretary of Agriculture by President-elect Donald Trump.
Donald Trump has chosen former Georgia governor Sonny Perdue to be his secretary of agriculture, completing a protracted search with implications for how the president-elect plans to deliver on his promises to the army of rural voters widely credited with helping him win the election.
A transition official confirmed the pick — the final traditional Cabinet department chief to be selected — which could be formally announced as early as Thursday.
Eric Tanenblatt, who was Perdue’s first chief of staff in the Georgia governor’s office, has argued that Trump and Perdue have a great deal in common, citing Perdue’s conversion to a Republican shortly before winning the Georgia governorship in 2002. He became the first Republican governor in the state in generations.
“As a successful governor, Perdue has the requisite experience to direct a massive bureaucracy of the sort necessary to conduct the Department’s many programs; as a southern governor and state lawmaker, he’s directly shaped agricultural policy and presided over a state with a $74-billion agricultural sector; and as a businessman with deep experience in agribusiness, he knows the challenges facing today’s farmers,” Tanenblatt said in a statement Wednesday night.
If confirmed, Perdue will head a sprawling agency with a $155 billion annual budget and close to 100,000 employees. This makes it one of the largest federal departments, and one that includes branches ranging from the U.S. Forest Service to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and duties ranging from co-publishing the U.S. Dietary Guidelines to running the school lunch program.
Politico has more on the policy implications of Perdue’s nomination.
Perdue, who would be the first southerner to lead USDA in more than two decades, told POLITICO in an interview before his selection that the next Agriculture secretary would be tasked with ensuring that USDA branches across the nation are friendly environments for all farmers and ranchers. He said he’d also aim to make the department work better with other agencies, like the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Trade would be a top priority, too, Perdue added, and he was quick to defend Trump’s position on the issue.
The president-elect has been adamantly opposed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal that most agricultural groups enthusiastically support. But Perdue argued that Trump understands that American farmers rely on trade and how their products often are “tariffed out” of certain markets. He wants to level the playing field, the prospective Agriculture secretary said.
Perdue has a long track record of promoting trade. As governor, he opened his state’s international trade office in Beijing and actively supported commerce between Georgia and China. He also lobbied to have Atlanta be the headquarters of the Free Trade Area of the Americas, a proposed expansion of the North American Free Trade Agreement that would have included South America and the Caribbean.
“It will be nice with someone like Gov. Perdue, who understands the importance of trade and fair trade policies” at the USDA, said Mike Giles, executive director of the Georgia Poultry Federation.
Governor Deal spoke about what Sonny Perdue’s appointment will mean to the Peach State.
“I think it just goes to show that Georgia has a lot to offer at the federal level as well as what we’re doing at the state level,” the Republican and current governor said.
Growing Georgia has reactions from members of Georgia’s agricultural community.
Zippy Duvall, the newly elected president of American Farm Bureau Federation, partnered with Perdue on numerous agricultural issues throughout Perdue’s time as governor and recalls that he “always had an open door for farmers.”
“Mr. Perdue’s roots go back to the farm,” says Duvall. “As governor he realized that agriculture is the largest industry in Georgia and he promoted it and helped grow our ag exports. He insured that Georgia invested in its rural areas.”
Asked if Perdue would be able to represent the voice of ALL of American agriculture and rural America, beyond his home state, Duvall says Perdue will rise to the challenge.
“Governor Perdue was a good administrator in Georgia. He ran a tight ship,” says Duvall. “Whether we vote red or blue, we’re all interested in government that is efficient and effective. That’s exactly what Georgia had under Governor Perdue’s leadership.”
Bryan Tolar, president of Georgia Agri-Business Council, the state’s leading agricultural advocacy organization says there’s no doubt that Sonny will “hit the ground running and be ready to attend to the issues and interests of rural America. We’ll have one of our own leading the charge.”
Explaining the reasons behind his confidence in Perdue, Tolar ticks off three pivotal achievements during Perdue’s time as governor of Georgia.
“First was the Water Stewardship Act passed in Governor Perdue’s final year in office,” recalls Tolar. “He made sure ag had a seat at the table and a voice in discussing things like the way permits were handled and resources were delivered.”
“Second, he was instrumental in beginning the process toward sales tax exemptions for farm fuel/energy and farm equipment. That’s been in place now for around six years and has hugely benefitted the ag sector.”
Third, Tolar says, was Perdue’s support for the state’s Extension program. “During his administration, Extension took a big hit when the economy was down, but Governor Perdue insured a resurgence by reinvesting in it… he understood the importance of university research and it’s value to agriculture.”
Georgia’s United States Senators, Johnny Isakson and David Perdue urge their colleagues to confirm Rep. Tom Price as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
“Dr. Price is a stand-up individual, and we should take comfort in his nomination because he has years of experience working within our nation’s health care system,” Perdue said. “He understands how government intrusion negatively impacts patient care and will work to end Washington’s takeover of our health care system.
“Because of his professional experience as a physician, Dr. Price is seen as a leading voice on health care policy and has a common-sense plan to replace Obamacare that will lower costs and put patients in charge of their health care choices. I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with Dr. Price, and there is no doubt in my mind that he will do a fantastic job improving our nation’s health care system and the lives of all Americans.”
Isakson, whom Price succeeded as 6th Congressional District representative when Isakson won his Senate seat, said Wednesday afternoon that Price is “someone I know to be a great politician, a great practicing legislator, a great family man, a great community servant and a great friend of mine.”
“I am going to vote for Tom Price with pride because I know he is the right man for the right job, at the right time, for America,” Isakson said.
Southwest Georgians will be among the crowd at the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States tomorrow.
For Alton Russell, a longtime Columbus Republican operative, this weekend offers a chance to enjoy the spoils of political victory. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July.
“I am really excited about this,” said Russell, 78, who will be attending his first inauguration. “I was there when it started in July and this will be a chance to see it come full circle.”
Like Russell, Joseph Brannan has been active in the local Republican Party. He, too, will be attending his first inauguration and was in Cleveland for the convention. Brannan’s tickets to the inauguration came from an unlikely source. U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, a Columbus Democrat, helped secure tickets for Brannen, one his constituents.
“He was very helpful,” said Brannan, the GOP chairman of the prominently Democratic 2nd Congressional District.
“I will admit I am a little nervous this time,” Emily Brannan said. “In 2001, you really didn’t think about safety or security. The thought of terrorist attacks didn’t even enter your mind. But after the Boston Marathon bombings, I am concerned about the parade.”
“Boycotting was not a consideration,” said [Democratic Congressman Sanford] Bishop. “The inauguration is technically a joint session of Congress. While I am not a Trump supporter, I respect the office of the president and it is my duty to attend.”
Linda McCormick of Moultrie will also join the Inaugural festivities in Washington this week.
A woman who served as a Republican delegate from Thomasville before moving to Colquitt County is on her way to Washington, D.C., to watch Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Linda McCormick served as a delegate to help nominate Trump while living in Thomasville.
“It was one of those things where I wanted to see it all the way through,” she said by phone Wednesday from somewhere on the road to the nation’s capital.
McCormick said she’d never been to Washington but she was meeting her son there to attend Friday’s festivities. She said she’d contacted several representatives to try to get tickets to various events but got no response. Some events, though, have free, standing-room tickets that will be available Friday morning, so she was still expecting to participate.
Former Ocmulgee Circuit District Attorney Frederic Bright has applied for an appointment as a United States Attorney in the Trump administration.
Bright, lives in Gordon, where his wife, Cinda, who serves as clerk of the Wilkinson County Superior Court, has applied to become one of the next three U.S. Attorneys in Georgia.
The job is a presidential-appointment position.
“In other words, Pres. (Donald J.) Trump would actually make the appointment,” Bright said in a telephone interview last Friday afternoon. “I would love to get the appointment to serve as the next U.S. Attorney, but I’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”
“There’s 93 for the whole country,” Bright said. “Georgia has three. We’re divided into what’s called the United States District Court for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Georgia.”
Bright served as district attorney of the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit for 21 years, and served as an assistant district attorney in the same circuit for 13 years.
“I was a prosecutor for 34 years from 1981 until midway of 2015,” Bright said. “That’s all I ever did.”
The Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit is the largest circuit in Georgia.
Valdosta City Council is considering additional solar panels at a wastewater facility under an agreement with Hannah Solar.
Democrats and Progressives attended a constituent service meeting hosted by staff for Rep. Jody Hice and voiced opposition to repealing Obamacare.
[A] group of about two dozen Democratic and progressive women from Athens-Clarke and Barrow counties pressured a staff member for Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga., for answers on Hice’s position on the program, which works to make health insurance available to a wide array of Americans who might not otherwise be able to obtain it.
On Thursday, shortly before the women gathered at the Golden Corral restaurant in Winder for a meeting with Ben Stout, a constituent service representative for Hice, a northeast Georgia congressman, the Senate passed a “budget reconciliation” measure as a first step in rolling back Obamacare.
On Friday, prior to the House vote, Hice press secretary Nadgey Louis-Charles said the Washington office has received significant constituent input on the Obamacare repeal — she could not provide specific numbers of phone calls or emails — and that sentiment in the district is “about 50-50” on the issue.
In [a] Friday news release, Hice told constituents to “rest assured that there will be a smooth transition period between the current system and a new free-market healthcare system that is patient-centered. … With President-elect Donald Trump and Dr. Tom Price [the Georgia congressman nominated by Trump to head the federal Department of Health & Human Services] at the helm, Congress will pass legislation that will increase access to the care Americans need, at a price they can afford.”
Organized opposition to repealing Obamacare also arose at a meeting hosted by Congressman Rob Woodall’s staff in Gwinnett County’s 7th Congressional District.
Members of a group calling itself Indivisible Georgia 7 went to U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall’s office in Lawrenceville with a straight forward message: Don’t vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act if there isn’t a replacement in place.
“What we would prefer would be a well-thought out and communicated plan before repeal,” Indivisible Georgia 7 Coordinator Ron Denham said. “Our concern is they are rushing into this along ideological lines, and its going to be expensive and it’s going to hurt people.”
Although the group focused on the Affordable Care Act during its meeting with Woodall’s Chief of Staff, Derick Corbett, on Wednesday, it also plans to focus on other issues, such as ethics, equal rights and national spending.
“We’re going to focus on one thing at a time and today the main message is that we are very concerned about ACA’s repeal without replacement,” Denham said.
“We’re going to have a lot more answers on Monday, but today the only answer I can give you is there is not a single member of Congress who’s not invested in making it a better situation,” [Woodall Chief of Staff Derrick Corbett] said. “Obamacare is failing and that failure is going to hurt, and so we must do a better job. We must find a better way forward, and that is the goal.”
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