GOP Senator Tim Scott hits MLB over Georgia’s new voting laws

Senator Tim Scott has stated that the “ wokes are at it again ” over Major League Baseball’s decision to move its All-Star Game to Colorado in protest at Georgia’s new ballot restrictions after suggesting that the two states have similar voting laws.

The South Carolina Republican on Tuesday joined growing opposition to the MLB’s decision to move the game from Atlanta to Denver after Georgia enacted the new voting rules last week.

Republican-backed Georgian law tightens identification requirements for absentee ballots, shortens early layoff voting periods, and makes it illegal for members of the public to offer food and water to voters waiting in line.

Scott took to Twitter to ask why the MLB moved the game to Denver after pointing out similarities between Colorado and Georgia voting laws.

“The @MLB is removing the #MLBAllStarGame from ATL, which has more voting rights than CO?” he tweeted.

“The Wokes are at it again, folks.”

Senator Tim Scott on Tuesday joined growing opposition to the MLB’s decision to move the All-Star game from Atlanta to Denver after Georgia enacted the new voting rules last week.

Scott took to Twitter to wonder why the MLB moved the game to Denver after pointing out similarities between Colorado and Georgia voting laws.

He noted that Georgia has 17 days of personal early voting and Colorado 15 days of personal early voting.

Scott also provided statistics on the African American makeup of the two cities, saying Atlanta is 51 percent black, while Denver is 9.2 percent black.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki had previously rejected claims that Colorado has similar voting laws to Georgia.

When asked at a White House press conference about the ‘very similar’ voting rules in the two states, Psaki said, ‘Well, let me just refute the first point you made.

“Colorado allows you to register on Election Day, Colorado has postal votes where they send to 100 percent in the state who qualify.”

Critics of the new law, including President Joe Biden, have argued that it aims to suppress voting among black people and other racial minorities who tend to vote democratically.

Biden previously called the changes “ Jim Crow on steroids. ”

The MLB controversy erupted last week when Commissioner Robert Manfred ordered the sport to move its July All-Star Game from Atlanta on Friday due to the new voting rules.

The move met fierce criticism from Republican lawmakers, including Georgian Governor Brian Kemp, who accused MLB of “succumbing to fear, political expediency and liberal lies.”

‘They come after your ball game. They’re going to boycott your company if you don’t agree with their way of life, ”Kemp told Fox News.

“We’re not going backwards.”

The MLB confirmed on Tuesday that the Colorado Rockies would now host the annual game

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has accused the MLB of ‘succumbing to fear, political opportunism and liberal lies’ by moving the game out of Atlanta in protest against electoral laws

Atlanta Braves overturns MLB decision

The Atlanta Braves baseball team has fired back to Major League Baseball after it was announced that the 2021 All-Star Game would be moved out of Atlanta due to the backlash on the new Georgia voting laws.

In a statement, the team said it was ‘disappointed’ by the decision taken by the organization.

‘This was neither our decision nor our recommendation and we are sad that fans will not be able to see this event in our city,’ the team said in a statement on social media.

The Braves organization will continue to emphasize the importance of equal voting opportunities and we had hoped that our city could use this event as a platform to reinforce the discussion. Our city has always been known as a unity in divided times, and we will miss the opportunity to address issues that are important to our community.

Unfortunately, businesses, employees and fans in Georgia are victims of this decision. We will continue to support planned community projects that are in progress. ‘

Former President Donald Trump also called on supporters to ‘boycott baseball’ as a result.

Baseball is already losing a lot of fans, and now they are leaving Atlanta with their All-Star Game because they fear the radical left Democrats who do not want voter ID, which is badly needed, to have anything to do with our election. , Trump said in a statement.

The MLB confirmed on Tuesday that the Colorado Rockies would now host the annual game.

“Major League Baseball is grateful to the Rockies, the City of Denver and the State of Colorado for their support of this summer’s All-Star Game,” Manfred said in a statement.

“We appreciate their flexibility and enthusiasm to host a top-notch event for our game and the region.”

MLB said the venue was chosen in part because the team was already bidding for a future All-Star game and had previously provided “ a detailed hotel, event space and security plan that took months to complete. ”

The Atlanta Braves had previously issued a statement saying they were “disappointed” with the decision made by the organization.

The removal of the lucrative All-Star Game marks one of the most important and high-profile signs of protest against Georgia’s new voting laws.

Atlanta-based companies Coca-Cola Co and Delta Air Lines are among those who label the new law as “unacceptable.”

Microsoft Corp, which announced a major new investment in Atlanta in February, said provisions of the law signed last week “unfairly restrict people’s rights to vote legally, safely, and securely.”

Mark Mason, Citi’s chief financial officer, said in a LinkedIn post that he was “shocked by the recent voter suppression” in Georgia.

Dozens of Black executives, including Merck & Co Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Frazier, had previously called on their colleagues in US companies to push back against wider restrictions on voting rights.

The campaign against the new Georgian law, led by Frazier and former CEO of American Express Co Kenneth Chenault, urged companies to look beyond the semblance of bias and publicly go against it and vote restrictions pursued in other states.

“We call on corporate America to publicly oppose any discriminatory legislation and any measures designed to limit Americans’ right to vote,” Chenault told Reuters.

“American companies must take a stand.”

What does Georgia’s new GOP electoral law do?

By Associated Press

CAN THE STATE TAKE OVER LOCAL ELECTION OFFICES?

Much of the electoral work in Georgia is carried out by the state’s 159 counties. The law gives the state election council new powers to intervene in county election offices and to remove and replace local election officials. This has raised concerns that the state administration controlled by the Republican administration could have more influence on the conduct of elections, including the certification of county results.

A target for intervention could be Fulton County, a Democratic stronghold that encompasses most of Atlanta. The densely populated province is plagued with problems, including long queues, and is often praised by Republican officials. By law, the administration could intervene in up to four counties at a time and appoint a temporary inspector with the ability to hire and fire personnel, including election directors and pollsters.

ARE PEOPLE FORBIDDEN FROM HANDING OUT SNACKS OR WATER TO VOTERS IN THE LINE?

The new law makes it a criminal offense to hand out “money or gifts, including, but not limited to, food and drink” to anyone standing in line to vote. The ban extends 50 meters from a polling station and 7 meters from any person standing in line.

Proponents of the law say they are trying to crack down on political organizations or interest groups that try to influence voters right before casting a vote.

Critics say it is cruel and would even punish non-partisan groups or individuals for something as simple as giving water to someone waiting in a long line.

Polling stations would be able, but not required, to set up self-service dispensers for voters.

DOES THE BILL MAKE AN ELIMINATION ON SUNDAY MOODS?

Republicans had once proposed restricting early voting on weekends, a time when many black churches are leading “souls to the polls” attempts to get congregants to vote. But the Republicans turned back, and the measure now extends early voting on the weekend.

Previously, a weekend vote was required, whereby the provinces were given the opportunity to offer more. Now two Saturdays are required, and counties can also offer two voting days on Sundays. Republicans point to this provision to claim that they are actually expanding rather than limiting voting rights.