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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2007 > March > 07 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USFormer speaker assists ag commissioner
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin has hired former House Speaker Terry Coleman as a consultant.
Irvin confirmed today that he named the fellow Democrat as a part-time special assistant in January, paying him $2,000 a month. Coleman, of Eastman, is helping Irvin set up meetings with state lawmakers and is assisting with the Agriculture Department’s programs and budgets, Irvin said.
Irvin said he values Coleman’s 34 years of experience serving in the House. Coleman served as House Appropriations Committee chairman for 12 of those years. Irvin said he plans to keep Coleman on the payroll at least until the end of the state’s 40-day legislative session, which is scheduled to run at least until late April.
“He has been a great value to the department up until this point,” said Irvin, who won reelection in November. “I am lucky to hire him for the very little money I am paying him.”
Coleman said he most recently helped Irvin respond to a major animal cruelty case in Pike County, where Irvin declared a state of emergency. In all, the state removed 99 horses and 29 dogs from a 600-acre farm in that case.
Coleman joked that his new job could help him get politics out of his system.
“I wanted to continue to see friends and stay involved,” said Coleman, who served as House speaker in 2003 and 2004. “It’s pretty hard to go cold turkey after 34 years.”
Coleman is not ruling out another run for public office. But he says he has no immediate plans to put his name on a ballot.
“You never say never,” he said.
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