Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is suing the Atlanta City Council and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms after she mandated that residents wear face marks in an effort to tackle the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in the city.
In the suit, Kemp complains that he alone “leads the State of Georgia in its fight against the worldwide novel coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic” and adds he has the power “to suspend municipal orders that are contradictory to any state law or to his executive orders.”
“As the Mayor of the City of Atlanta, Mayor Bottoms does not have the legal authority to modify, change or ignore Governor Kemp’s executive orders,” the document reads.
He then tweeted: “This lawsuit is on behalf of the Atlanta business owners and their hardworking employees who are struggling to survive during these difficult times.”
Kemp has since signed an executive order overriding any orders in place in the state which make face coverings mandatory.
Meanwhile, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson says that he is keeping his order in place and that Savannah residents must wear masks when out in public places.
During a press conference on Thursday, Johnson made his stance clear.
“Masks are not a political statement,” he said. “Masks are a necessary public health tool.”
Johnson says he will continue to follow the advice of health experts.
“We will continue to follow the science,” he said. “We will continue to provide masks, for free. We will continue to wear them. We will continue to mandate them. And we will continue to require them in our city.”
