Falcons owner: 'We should be working to make voting easier, not harder'

Shortly after Georgia approved an overhaul of election laws in the state via restrictions that opponents say target minority voters, MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark told the Boston Globe that the union could request that the league move this summer's MLB All-Star Game from Atlanta. 

On Tuesday, Atlanta Falcons owner and chairman Arthur Blank addressed the controversial changes via an official statement: 

"Every voice and every vote matters and should be heard through our democratic process in Georgia. The right to vote is simply sacred. We should be working to make voting easier, not harder for every eligible citizen. To that end, AMBSE leadership, along with our nonprofit partners, conveyed that ideal directly to state officials in recent weeks. Our businesses and family foundation will continue to actively support efforts that advance voting access for the citizens of Georgia and across the nation."

It's currently unknown if MLB or any other North American professional sports league plans to remove events from Georgia at any point this year. 

"Players are very much aware," Clark said last week. "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." 

While clubs based in Georgia will inevitably host opposing teams in the state, MLB removing lucrative festivities that would otherwise occur across the All-Star break would deliver a strong message sent by both the league and the MLB Players Association. 

The MLB All-Star Game is scheduled for July 13.