Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark said Friday that he “would look forward” to discussing moving the All-Star Game from Atlanta in the wake of Georgia’s decision to overhaul how its state elections are run.
“Players are very much aware,” Clark told the Boston Globe in an interview. “As it relates to the All-Star Game, we have not had a conversation with the league on that issue. If there is an opportunity to, we would look forward to having that conversation.”
On Thursday, Georgia governor Brian Kemp signed into law a sweeping Republican-sponsored bill that includes new restrictions on voting by mail and greater legislative control over how elections are run.
Democrats and voting rights groups say the law will disproportionately disenfranchise voters of color. It is one of a wave of GOP-backed election bills introduced in states around the country.
The MLB All-Star Game is set to be played on July 13 at Atlanta’s Truist Park. It’s the first time the game has been held there since 2000 at Turner Field.
There is some precedent for moving All-Star games by pro leagues. In 2017, the NBA moved its game out of Charlotte, North Carolina, after a bill that limited anti-discrimination protections was enacted.