Republican Indiana Rep. Jim Banks wrote a letter Friday to MLB Executive Director Tony Clark with a list of questions about moving the All-Star Game from Atlanta in protest of Georgia’s recently-enacted Election Integrity Act of 2021, calling the idea “confounding.”
The Daily Caller first obtained the letter criticizing Clark’s remark that he “would look forward to” discussing moving the All-Star Game out of Georgia in protest of the new election law. The idea has been supported by President Joe Biden, who said Wednesday that the game should be relocated.
“While we respect the rights of your organization and players to conduct private business activities freely within the confines of U.S. law, we find this act of protest, which effectively boycotts the state of Georgia, somewhat confounding,” Banks wrote in the letter.
“[T]he Election Integrity Act’s most significant reforms ensure Georgia’s mail-in ballot system adequately verifies the identification of absentee voters. This is designed to prevent voter fraud,” the letter said. “Nonetheless these changes have been called “racist” and compared to Jim Crow laws by hyperpartisan detractors. Professional baseball teams use analogous identification requirements for ticket pickup. Yet, we are unaware of boycott threats based on these ticket pickup ID policies,” the letter continued. (RELATED: Stacey Abrams: ‘Please Do Not Boycott Us’ Over Election Law In Georgia)
The game was set to be held on July 13 at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves. However, reports said the MLB was internally debating whether or not they should move the location due to the new voter laws, which require among other things that voters provide a photo ID such as a drivers license when they submit an absentee ballot. (RELATED: Biden Pressures MLB To Move All-Star Game Out Of Atlanta Over GA Voting Law)
A List Of Questions Banks Asks The MLB In The Letter:
- Do you believe that it is racist to require ID to pick up baseball tickets?
- If so, why have you and your players not boycotted teams that have such ID requirements in place?
- Would your players lose money if they refused to play in games for such teams?
- Do you think it is less important to verify the identity of individuals voting in elections than to verify the ID of individuals picking up baseball tickets?
- Do you believe that it is racist to require ID to pick up baseball tickets?
- If so, why have you and your players not boycotted teams that have such ID requirements in place?
- Would your players lose money if they refused to play in games for such teams?
- Do you think it is less important to verify the identity of individuals voting in elections than to verify the ID of individuals picking up baseball tickets?
READ THE LETTER HERE:
Daily Caller Obtained MLB L… by Henry Rodgers
The Daily Caller asked Banks about the letter to which he responded by saying: “Georgia passed a great bill that makes their elections more secure and trustworthy, because their voters asked them to. The bill is not racist. That’s a cynical Democrat talking point that Delta, the MLB and Coca-Cola are thoughtlessly repeating because they’re thoughtless partisans. Our voters demanded secure election, and the MLB is vilifying them for it.”
“I’ve got news for the MLB: Republicans won’t roll over for woke corporations any longer. Pick a fight with our voters and you’ve picked a fight with their party,” Banks added.
Two of the largest companies based in Atlanta, Delta and Coca-Cola, have criticized the new law along with a range of other corporations.