Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) on Friday expressed his disappointment over Major League Baseball’s (MLB) decision to move the 2021 All-Star Game out of Georgia.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced earlier Friday that the MLB would move the location of the All-Star game in protest of Georgia’s controversial new voting law signed into law last month.
The bill tightens voting restrictions in the Peach State, including putting limits on ballot drop boxes, minimizing when Georgia citizens can apply for a mail-in ballot and instituting photo requirements for absentee voting, among other things.
In a statement, the Warnock dubbed the league’s choice to pull the All-Star game out of Georgia “the unfortunate consequence of these politicians’ actions.”
“Businesses and organizations have great power in their voices and ability to push for change, and I respect the decision of the players to speak out against this unjust law,” the newly elected senator, who has spoken out against the bill, said.
He continued, “It is not the people of Georgia or the workers of Georgia who crafted this law, it is politicians seeking to retain power at the expense of Georgians’ voices.”
Warnock urged those who don’t support the law to not leave Georgia, and instead to come to the state and fight voter suppression “head on, and hand-in-hand with the community.”
He concluded his message arguing that federal voter protection laws need to be passed to ensure the rights of every voter.
“I will continue to be a leader in that fight,” he said.
Warnock condemned the voting bill shortly after it passed, and slammed Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) for signing it into law, saying he “knows better.”
“Unfortunately Georgia has a long history of voter suppression and when I say a long history I mean in recent years, and certainly it is ramped up with this bill that he signed into law,” Warnock said.