Georgia’s controversial SB 202 voting law prompts Major League Baseball to withdraw the 2021 All-Star Game and the Atlanta draft.
MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. announced that the 2021 MLB All-Star Game and the MLB Draft will be withdrawn from Georgia in light of the state’s new voting law (SB 202).
“Over the past week, we have engaged in serious discussions with clubs, former and current players, the Players Association and The Players Alliance, among others, to hear their views,” Manfred Jr. said in a statement. “I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is to relocate the All-Star Game and this year’s MLB Draft.”
“Major League Baseball fundamentally supports the voting rights of all Americans and opposes restrictions on the polls,” he continued, noting how MLB was the first sports league to join the Civic Alliance and how it has used its platform to encourage citizens to carry out their civic activities. homework. “Fair access to voting continues to have unwavering support for our game,” he added. Finally, Manfred Jr. concluded by noting that MLB will continue to support local Atlanta, GA communities through its All-Star Legacy Projects and will announce a new host city at a later date.
Following the announcement, the Atlanta Braves issued a statement condemning the MLB decision as a punishment for fans.
Georgia’s new voting law comes with a number of significant changes, including stricter identification requirements, less time to request absentee ballots, fewer vote-by-mail boxes and mobile voting centers, limited early voting in counties. big and more. It is now also forbidden to offer food and / or water to those waiting in line to vote.
The law has already drawn the ire of Hollywood, with Logan and Indiana Jones 5 director James Mangold stating that he will no longer shoot a movie in the state (Star Wars veteran Mark Hamill was quick to endorse the Mangold boycott.) ViacomCBS also issued a statement condemning the law, writing: “We unequivocally believe in the importance of all Americans having the same right to vote and we oppose Georgia’s recent voting rights law or any efforts that impede the ability to exercise. this vital constitutional right “.
Source: Twitter
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