Showing posts with label Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Show all posts

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to defy Kemp ban on mask mandates

Several Georgia mayors including Keisha Lance Bottoms have lashed out over Gov. Brian Kemp’s (R) Wednesday order overriding local mandates requiring residents to wear a mask or face covering amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, vowing to continue enforcing local rules.

Bottoms said in a Thursday news conference that “it’s my belief that the city of Atlanta still has the appropriate standing to mandate masks,” specifically citing city-owned buildings and other areas.

"I believe that our city mask ordinance, and I believe those across the state, are defensible, and it is not just my posture but the posture of many mayors across this state that our policies are enforceable and they stand,” Bottoms said Thursday.

Kemp’s office has called local mask mandates “unenforceable.” The governor’s Wednesday order voids local mandates and instead “strongly” encourages all residents and visitors to wear face coverings in public.

When asked if she feared a lawsuit from the state, Bottoms, who announced that she tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, said she was not concerned .

"You all know I love to quote Audre Lorde, she says 'I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.' So I am not afraid of the city being sued," Bottoms said Thursday. "And I'll put our policies up against anyone's any day of the week."

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Friday, July 10, 2020

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms reissues stay at home order as Covid-10 cases rise



Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has issued an Order directing the City of Atlanta’s five-phased reopening plan to be moved from the current Phase II back to Phase I effective immediately in response to the alarming increase in COVID-19 cases in the state of Georgia. The Mayor’s reopening plan was drawn from the recommendations of the Mayor’s Advisory Council for Reopening Atlanta. The reopening phases are based on milestone metrics and recent data.
“Based upon the surge of COVID-19 cases and other data trends, pursuant to the recommendations of our Reopening Advisory Committee, Atlanta will return to Phase I of our reopening plan,” said Mayor Bottoms. “Georgia reopened in a reckless manner and the people of our city and state are suffering the consequences.”
Phase 1: Stay at Home guidelines are as follows:
Individuals:
Businesses:
  • To-go and curbside pickups from restaurants and retail establishments;
  • Continue practicing teleworking; and
  • Frequent cleaning of public and high touch areas.
City Government:
  • Non-essential City facilities remain closed;
  • Moratorium on special event applications; and
  • Establish and continue communication with local and State authorities to monitor public health metrics.
Earlier this week, Mayor Bottoms issued Executive Order 2020-113 requiring all persons to wear a mask or a cloth face covering over their nose and mouth within the city of Atlanta in response to the rising number of COVID-19 infections. Today, Mayor Bottoms issued Executive Order 2020-114 which prohibits gatherings of any number of individuals on city of Atlanta property.
A comprehensive list of actions taken by Mayor Bottoms during the COVID-19 pandemic can be found online here.
The City has also posted prevention information and additional resources related to COVID-19 on its website here.

Chief among the City’s guidance to residents and visitors are the following preventative measures:
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
  • If you have recently returned from a country with ongoing COVID-19 infections, monitor your health and follow the instructions of public health officials.

Monday, July 06, 2020

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Has Coronavirus

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lane Bottoms has announced via Twitter that she has tested positive for Coronavirus:

Friday, June 19, 2020

Amy Klobuchar drops out VP contention says Biden should choose a woman of color

Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Thursday night removed herself from consideration to be Joe Biden's running mate, citing the ongoing national discussion about racial injustice and police brutality to suggest the former vice president should choose a woman of color.

"This is a historic moment, and America must seize on this moment. And I truly believe as, I actually told the vice president last night when I called him, that I think this is a moment to put a woman of color on that ticket," Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, told MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell.

"And there are so many incredibly qualified women, but if you want to heal this nation right now, my party ... this is sure a hell of a way to do it."

Tuesday, June 09, 2020

Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms being vetted as possible Biden VP pick

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) is among the women under consideration to be former Vice President Biden's running mate, according to a new report.

Bottoms has garnered national attention amid the coronavirus pandemic, notably criticizing Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) for being one of the first states to reopen.

She has also been a vocal voice amid the protests over the police killing of George Floyd. Bottoms criticized President Trump's response to his death on CNN on Sunday, saying she was "simply disgusted" with Trump for invoking Floyd's name while discussing economic gains after a better-than-expected employment report on Friday.

SOURCE: THE HILL

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms: Violent demonstrations in Atlanta are “disgracing the life of George Floyd”

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms condemned violent protests over the death of George Floyd that took place in her city on Friday, saying that the violence is “disgracing the life of George Floyd”

Sunday, May 10, 2020

Atlanta mayor: Ahmaud Arbery's death a 'lynching of an African American man'

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Sunday called the shooting death of an unarmed African American jogger a "lynching" and said arrests of two accused men would not have been made if there was not video of the incident.

"It's heartbreaking that it's 2020 and this was a lynching of an African American man," Bottoms said of Ahmaud Arbery's death on CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union."

Arbery, 25, was shot and killed on February 23 while jogging in southern Georgia. Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son, Travis McMichael, 34, were arrested Thursday -- three months following the fatal shooting -- after a 36-second video that appears to show the incident went viral.

Bottoms said she believes the arrests would not have been made had video of the shooting not surfaced. CNN has not verified who recorded the video -- taken by someone in a vehicle that pulls up behind a pickup truck stopped in the road -- but it captured events that match numerous accounts of the shooting.

"I think that's absolutely the reason that they were charged. I think had we not seen that video, I don't believe that they would be charged," Bottoms said. The Democrat also said Arbery's death is a bigger issue that extends beyond the state of Georgia.

"With the rhetoric we hear coming out of the White House in so many ways, I think that many who are prone to being racist are given permission to do it in an overt way that we otherwise would not see in 2020," she said. "In cities across this country, even if local leadership fails, there was always the backstop of our Justice Department to step in and make sure people are appropriately prosecuted. But we don't have that leadership at the top right now. It's disheartening."

She continued, "I think it speaks to the need to have leadership at the top that cares for all of our communities and not just in words but in deeds as well."

[SOURCE: CNN]

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Atlanta mayor, Keisha Bottoms speaks on new restrictions to mitigate coronavirus

Keisha lance Bottoms,the Atlanta mayor spoke with the local Atlanta CBS station, CBS46 on new restrictions to mitigate coronavirus.

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms To Deliver Spelman College Commencement Address

The Honorable Keisha Lance Bottoms, current mayor of Atlanta, has been named keynote speaker for the Spelman College 132nd Commencement ceremony. The 60th Mayor of Atlanta will address 474 graduates in the Class of 2019 and 9,000 of their family and friends on Sunday, May 19, 2019, at 3 p.m., at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta. Mayor Bottoms will also receive the National Community Service Award in recognition of her service as a lifelong public servant and commitment to addressing local, state and national issues.

Mayor Bottoms is the only mayor in Atlanta's history to have served in all three branches of government, serving as a judge and city councilmember before being sworn in as mayor. Leading with a progressive agenda focused on equity and affordable housing, Mayor Bottoms serves as chair of the Community Development and Housing Committee for the United States Conference of Mayors.

Only the second woman to be elected to Atlanta's highest office, Mayor Bottoms has demonstrated her courageous leadership through initiatives like the citywide elimination of cash bail bonds, the closure of the Atlanta City Detention Center to ICE detainees, and the launch of Atlanta's financial transparency platform – Open Checkbook. During her time on city council, she launched Invest in Southwest , a 360-degree urban planning initiative with the goal of revitalizing and expanding economic development within the Southwest Atlanta community. She also authored panhandling legislation, which combined empathy with enforcement, and resulted in offenders receiving often-needed social services to help break the cycle of recidivism.

"Atlanta is fortunate to have such a dynamic leader as Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who has had a tremendous impact on the city, in particular on the Westside, where Spelman is located," said Spelman President Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D. "She stands as an example for Spelman students of how to effectively lead the country's bedrock for civil and human rights, while navigating complex issues, prioritizing civic engagement and advancing Atlanta's progress in global commerce and equity. We look forward to Mayor Bottoms sharing her experience with the class of 2019."

Under Mayor Bottoms' leadership, the City of Atlanta recently led the successful staging of Super Bowl LIII, which included unprecedented community benefits – a $2.4 million renovation of John F. Kennedy Park on Atlanta's Westside, more than 20,000 trees planted throughout the community and the seamless coordination of 40 federal, state and local public safety agencies.

Mayor Bottoms has volunteered and served on the board of numerous community organizations, including The Children's School, the Firefighters' Pension Fund, the Andrew and Walter Young YMCA, the YWCA of Atlanta, Cure for Childhood Cancer and Central Atlanta Progress. She has been a member of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights – Women's Solidarity Society and also served on the board of Families First, where she often shared her personal story of adoption and advocates on behalf of adoption and foster care.

"Spelman College is a beacon of excellence across the globe and I am honored to stand among the many fearless women who have graced this space to share life lessons with the graduates as they journey into their next chapter," said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. "I am equally grateful to receive the 2019 National Community Service Award. Thank you, Spelman College, for the thoughtfulness in this recognition."