Sign in Subscribe
City councils

Georgia Governor Withdraws Lawsuit Against Atlanta Mayor Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Georgia's Republican Governor, Brian Kemp, has withdrawn a lawsuit filed against Atlanta's Democratic Mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, and the city's City Council, in an effort to block the city's restrictions put in place to fight the coronavirus, including a citywide mask mandate. This decision comes after Mayor Bottoms agreed to abandon the city's Phase One roll-back plan, which included business closures and a shelter-in-place order. However, the mayor pushed back against Kemp's claim, stating that she was "grateful" for his decision to withdraw the suit but accused the governor of intentionally misleading the public about their negotiations.

Key Takeaways:

  • Governor Brian Kemp withdrew a lawsuit against Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the city's City Council, filed to block the city's COVID-19 restrictions, including a mask mandate.
  • The lawsuit was filed in an effort to block the city's Phase One roll-back plan, which included business closures and a shelter-in-place order.
  • Mayor Bottoms agreed to abandon the city's Phase One roll-back plan, but Kemp claimed she refused to agree to a settlement that safeguarded the rights of private property owners in Georgia.
  • The governor will now address the issue in a new executive order this coming Saturday.
  • The decision represents a dramatic twist in the battle between Kemp and Bottoms over the city's response to the pandemic.
  • Mayor Bottoms pushed back against Kemp's claim, stating that she was "grateful" for his decision to withdraw the suit but accused the governor of intentionally misleading the public about their negotiations.
  • The city's Phase One roll-back plan included business closures and a shelter-in-place order, which Mayor Bottoms agreed to abandon.
  • Governor Kemp argued that the mayor's mask mandate violated his emergency order prohibiting local action from being more prohibitive than the state's requirements.

Sources:

  • CNN, "Georgia governor withdraws lawsuit against Atlanta, citing mayor's 'concession'"
  • Johns Hopkins University, "Coronavirus Cases by State and Territory"

Read more