Friend,

As you know, I sued the City of Atlanta to immediately stop the shuttering of local businesses and protect local workers from layoffs. This pandemic has created economic instability in our state and country. I could not sit back while hardworking Georgians suffered.

Since then, we have worked in good faith with Mayor Bottoms and her legal team to craft a plan that balances local control while protecting the business community. The Mayor agreed to abandon the city’s Phase One roll-back plan, which included business closures and a shelter in place order. This is a HUGE win with generational impact.

Sadly, Mayor Bottoms refused to budge on our plan to safeguard the rights of private property owners in Georgia. She believes that government should have absolute control over local businesses and their customers. I think she's wrong.

While I am proud of what we've accomplished - keeping businesses open and workers employed - there's more we must do to protect the rights and freedoms of our fellow Georgians. That's why we left the negotiation table and plan to address these looming issues in our next Executive Order. We refuse to wait while the rights of Georgians are being trampled.

Despite reckless misreporting by the national press, this lawsuit was never about masks, politics, or control. This is all about protecting the lives and livelihoods of all Georgians. Of course, we must ensure the health and well-being of our neighbors. And we must also save jobs and paychecks at the same time.

Moving forward, we will continue to put Georgians – not pandemic politics - first. Together, we will weather this storm and build a safer, stronger, and more prosperous future for our state.

Sincerely,

Brian P. Kemp

Governor