Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is suing Atlanta to block the city from enforcing its mandate to wear a mask in public and other rules related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kemp and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, in a suit filed in state court late Thursday in Atlanta, argue that Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has overstepped her authority and must obey Kemp's executive orders under state law.
"I am not afraid of the city being sued and I'll put our policies up against anyone's, any day of the week," Bottoms said Thursday during a video news conference, telling reporters the city's order is still in effect. She did not immediately respond later to a request for comment on the lawsuit. Kemp also alleged in his lawsuit that Bottoms has forbidden police from enforcing Kemp's earlier orders against gatherings of more than 50 people.
Bottoms last week made statements that people had to return to sheltering at home and forcing restaurants to return to only offering takeout and delivery. Kemp quickly swatted those claims down, and Bottoms on Thursday described them as guidelines. But Kemp's lawsuit says the court should set Bottoms straight on those statements as well, and forbid her from making more claims about her power to reporters.
Although national health officials have called on people to use masks, President Donald Trump's administration has not issued any nationwide guidance. Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia now require masks. Georgia overall had more than 131,000 confirmed infections and more than 3,100 deaths overall as of Thursday.
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