Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Friday evening said Major League Baseball officials caved “to fear, political opportunism, and liberal lies.”
This, after MLB officials announced earlier in the day that they will relocate the 2021 All-Star Game and MLB Draft, originally scheduled for Atlanta, to another location. They specifically cited Georgia’s new voter integrity law, Senate Bill 202.
Kemp, on his Facebook page, warned Georgians that more corporations and other entities might also choose to penalize the state.
“Georgians – and all Americans – should fully understand what the MLB’s knee-jerk decision means: cancel culture and woke political activists are coming for every aspect of your life, sports included. If the left doesn’t agree with you, facts and the truth do not matter,” Kemp said on his Facebook page.
“This attack on our state is the direct result of repeated lies from Joe Biden and Stacey Abrams about a bill that expands access to the ballot box and ensures the integrity of our elections. I will not back down. Georgians will not be bullied. We will continue to stand up for secure, accessible, fair elections. Earlier today, I spoke with the leadership of the Atlanta Braves who informed me they do not support the MLB’s decision.”
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said on the MLB’s website that the decision to move the All-Star Game was “the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport.” He also said he consulted with teams, former and current players, the MLB Players Association, and The Players Alliance, among others.
The MLB’s website also posted a statement from The Players Alliance.
“We want to make our voice heard loud and clear in our opposition of the recent Georgia legislation that not only disproportionately disenfranchises the black community, but also paves the way for other states to pass similarly harmful laws based largely on widespread falsehoods and disinformation,” Players Alliance members said.
“While we will support those in need in whichever city the game is ultimately relocated to, we will also uphold our commitment to those Georgians we’ve already planned to serve. We will use our voice, our platform, and our partnerships now more than ever to create real, tangible change for the black community to stand up for every American’s right to vote.”
Greater Georgia Chairwoman Kelly Loeffler, in an emailed press release, faulted the MLB.
“It’s extremely unfortunate that the MLB has fallen into the woke, misinformation campaign being spread by Democrats – only to the detriment of hardworking Georgians and small businesses. At a time when the MLB had the opportunity to honor an iconic trailblazer in Hank Aaron, they instead opted to honor politics,” Loeffler said.
“Greater Georgia will continue to stand with the vast majority of Georgians who support the Election Integrity Act that expands access and strengthens the integrity of our elections.”
According to its website, Greater Georgia members support, among other things, individual liberties, lower taxes, and educational choice.
As The Georgia Star News reported Saturday, this new voter reform law requires voter ID on all absentee ballots and increased oversight of local election boards that fail to follow state election law.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
