Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp ended a legal battle between himself and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms over a mask mandate and other restrictions meant to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Kemp, a Republican, rescinded a lawsuit on Thursday against Bottoms that was filed when she defied his order to revoke masks mandates amid the coronavirus pandemic. He pledged to sign an executive order this weekend that specifies local governments cannot force businesses to require masks to operate.
“I sued the City of Atlanta to immediately stop the shuttering of local businesses and protect local workers from economic instability. For weeks, we have worked in good faith with Mayor Bottoms, and she agreed to abandon the city’s Phase One roll-back plan, which included business closures and a shelter in place order,” Kemp said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the Mayor has made it clear that she will not agree to a settlement that safeguards the rights of private property owners in Georgia. Given this stalemate in negotiations, we will address this very issue in the next Executive Order.”
Bottoms, a Democrat, pushed back on Kemp’s claim that negotiations between the two were not conducted in good faith, but stated she was “grateful” that the lawsuit was dropped so public funds could be entirely focused on ending the spread of COVID-19.
“While it is unfortunate that the Governor seeks to intentionally mislead the people of our state by issuing a woefully inaccurate statement regarding our good faith negotiations and the City’s reopening recommendations, I am grateful that this lawsuit has been withdrawn and the time and resources of our city and state can be better used to combat COVID-19,” said Bottoms in a statement to CNN.
In July, Kemp ordered a change to guidelines put into place at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in the state, removing mask mandates. It also required citizens at risk of serious infection to shelter in place, restricted gatherings to no more than 50 people, and recommended businesses such as restaurants adhere to new health precautions.
The governor then sued Bottoms for defying his order eliminating mask mandates and pulling the city back to “phase one” of coronavirus restrictions.
“This lawsuit is on behalf of the Atlanta business owners and their hardworking employees who are struggling to survive during these difficult times. These men and women are doing their very best to put food on the table for their families while local elected officials shutter businesses and undermine economic growth,” Kemp said in a social media post about the lawsuit.
“Just like sending in the Georgia National Guard to protect those living in our capital city from crime and violence, I refuse to sit back and watch as disastrous policies threaten the lives and livelihoods of our citizens. We will fight to stop these reckless actions and put people over pandemic politics,” he continued.
According to the Georgia Department of Health, over 228,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the state, and more than 4,500 people have died from it. Over 1.9 million COVID-19 tests have been administered.
