After leading a boycott against Major League Baseball’s All-Star game, originally scheduled to be held in Atlanta, failed gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is backtracking and blaming Republicans for the negative economic impact that the boycott will have on Georgia.
“Republicans who passed and defended Senate Bill 202 did so knowing the economic risks for our state,” Abrams said in a statement posted to her Twitter account. “They prioritized making it harder for people of color to vote over the economic well-being of Georgians.”
“Like many Georgians, I am disappointed that the MLB is moving its All-Star Game; however, I commend the players, owners and League Commissioner for speaking out,” she continued. “As I have stated, I respect boycotts, although I don’t want to see Georgia families hurt by lost events and jobs. Georgians targeted by voter suppression will be hurt as opportunities go to other states.”
But boycotts over the bill began after it was signed into law, not before, rendering Abrams’ claim that Republicans knew the “economic risks” of passing the bill false.
The voter integrity bill, which requires identification in order for a voter to obtain an absentee ballot, has been deemed “racist” by left-wing activists like Abrams, who presume that black Americans are incapable of obtaining photo identification.
Major League Baseball moved its All-Star game after political pressure from those same activist, resulting an an estimated net loss of $100 million in revenue for Cobb County, which could have been a boon for the county and the surrounding areas after a year of COVID-19 restrictions led to business closures.
Some, like Georgia-based Jobs Creators Network CEO Alfredo Ortiz, have argued that Abrams and her activist friends pushing Major League Baseball out of Atlanta will have a disproportionately negative effect on black-owned businesses.
“These small business owners, especially in Cobb – I mean, a lot of these are minority owned businesses – who were looking forward and desperately needed this kind of revenue,” Ortiz said Monday on “Fox & Friends.” “And all because, quite frankly, there was a misinterpretation or a misunderstanding or quite frankly just an outright lie of the law that was passed here in Georgia on voting rights.”
– – –
Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to dabroscareports@gmail.com.
Photo “Stacey Abrams” by Stacey Abrams. Background Photo “Georgia State Capitol” by DXR. CC BY-SA 4.0.