Source: MLB Photos / Getty
Changing the voting law has a lot of consequences and now, the State of Georgia is starting to see the effects of what all could be taken away from officials after they worked to take away rights from different voters.
Major League Baseball became the latest organization to denounce the new voting bill on April 2, which critics are saying it’s “unacceptable” and “a step backward.”
On that same day, MLB has also dropped a bombshell when they broke the news that the 2021 All-Star Game and 2021 MLB Draft will not take place in Atlanta anymore. Those changes are due to that very same voter bill that is causing many to rethink their business opportunities in Georgia.
As for pulling the Draft and All-Star Game out of Atlanta, the league has issued a statement explaining why they made those last-minute changes.
From WEWS News 5 Cleveland:
“Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box,” Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr., said. “In 2020, MLB became the first professional sports league to join the non-partisan Civic Alliance to help build a future in which everyone participates in shaping the United States. We proudly used our platform to encourage baseball fans and communities throughout our country to perform their civic duty and actively participate in the voting process. Fair access to voting continues to have our game’s unwavering support.”
The league had also engaged in discussions “with Clubs, former and current players, the Players Association, and The Players Alliance” before deciding to change the location for its upcoming big events this year.
That doesn’t mean that the MLB has abandoned Atlanta completely as they will still honor the late Hank Aaron and will continue to “support local communities in Atlanta as part of our All-Star Legacy Projects.”
No new city to host the Draft and All-Star Game has been named as of right now, but an announcement of a new location is forthcoming.
There is no doubt that the State of Georgia, especially the City of Atlanta, is going to lose a lot of money as a result of the MLB events no longer taking place.
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Article Courtesy of WEWS News 5 Cleveland
First Picture Courtesy of Icon Sportswire and Getty Images
Second Picture Courtesy of MLB Photos and Getty Images
Atlanta Loses 2021 MLB Draft and All-Star Game Due to Georgia’s Voter Suppression Bill was originally published on wzakcleveland.com
