Talks between Bottoms and Kemp may keep mask mandate case out of court

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    ATLANTA, GA (WGCL) — After weeks of back and forth, it appears the fight over Atlanta’s mask mandate between Governor Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms may be coming to an end.

Appearing on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Mayor Bottoms indicated discussions are ongoing about how to resolve the difference of opinion between Governor Kemp and herself without going to court.

“I am personally being sued by the Governor but ironically just before joining you, I had a very good conversation with the Governor so we discussed where we disagree and hopefully we can figure out a way to agree to disagree without having to play this out in court,” Bottoms told Fallon. “At the end of the day, we want the same thing, we want people to be safe, we want to stop the spread of COVID-19 and certainly doesn’t help when we’re having to fight.”

The two had been slated to square off in court on Tuesday for the first court hearing in the lawsuit Kemp filed against Bottoms and the Atlanta City Council over the mask mandate. However, two judges had to recuse themselves from the case causing a delay. Wednesday, a court date of next Tuesday was set for Kemp v. Bottoms.

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