ATLANTA – The Georgia Legislative Black Caucus (GLBC), chaired by State Representative Karen Bennett (D-Stone Mountain), today issued the following statement in response to the executive order issued by Governor Brian Kemp to reopen certain businesses in Georgia:
“Today, the governor of Georgia issued an executive order to reopen certain businesses and mostly all medical facilities. The idea of allowing barbershops, bars, bowling alleys, massage parlors and clubs to reopen in the midst of a pandemic without ensuring necessary testing and protection is incomprehensible. We cannot prioritize the economy of a few, over the safety of all people, because without people we have no economy. Our focus needs to be supporting hospitals, increasing testing, securing more personal protective equipment, bolstering our supply chains and expanding our capacity to provide Georgians medical, economic and emotional assistance.
“We all want to return to business as usual and return businesses to work; however, our collective future has been permanently changed by COVID-19. This virus has disproportionately impacted the lives of black and brown people. We cannot and will not stand silently by and watch the premature opening of businesses that are mostly in the African American communities. The Georgia Legislative Black Caucus cannot support this rash act of opening businesses prematurely without the state providing universal testing, contact tracing and PPE (personal protective equipment) for all.
“We cannot sacrifice the lives of people tomorrow to satisfy the wants of a few today. We call on the governor to rescind this order until science and evidence proves that COVID-19 is no longer a threat to our communities.”
Established in 1975, the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus is a 501(c)3 non-profit, nonpartisan organization comprised of 65 Georgia House and Senate members.
For more information about the GLBC, please click here.
Representative Karen Bennett represents the citizens of Districts 94, which includes portions of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2012 and currently serves on the Code Revision, Economic Development & Tourism, Health & Human Services and Regulated Industries committees.
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