Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday afternoon that he won’t be throwing out the first pitch in the Texas Rangers’ home opener, as was scheduled, due to Major League Baseball’s answer to voting legislation recently passed in Georgia.
“I had been excited about throwing out the first pitch in the Texas Rangers’ home opening game before @MLB embraced what was proven to be a fictitious story regarding Georgia’s election law reforms.
Within an extra statement, Abbott reported he won’t”engage in an event held by MLB, and the State won’t seek to sponsor the All-Star Game or some other MLB special occasions ”
On Friday, MLB announced that this summer’s All-Star Game was moved out of Atlanta in response to a new Georgia law which has civil rights groups worried about its capability to limit voting accessibility for people of colour.
Commissioner Rob Manfred made the choice to move the All-Star Game and events, alongside the amateur draft, from Atlanta after talks with individual large leaguers and the Players Alliance, an organization of Black players formed following the departure of George Floyd this past year.
Last month, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law a sweeping, Republican-sponsored invoice which includes new restrictions on voting by trade and also higher legislative control over the elections are conducted. The bill, which also prohibits volunteers by distributing water and food to Republicans waiting in line, was finalized on March 25 approximately 15 miles in the Braves’ stadium, Truist Park.
The new voting legislation came in the aftermath of the initial Democratic victories in November and Senate elections in Georgia at a creation, which triggered recurrent unproven assertions by former President Donald Trump the nation’s election was deceptive. Supporters of the law have stated that it only ensures election ethics and stamps out possible fraud, while critics have described it as a voter suppression tactic that could make it harder for minorities, especially people of colour, to vote, mentioning the way that it reduces ballot access in urban areas which lean Democrat.
After going 1-2 at a season-opening street series from the Kansas City Royals, the Rangers will return into a full-capacity audience at Globe Life Field to their home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday afternoon.
