Three prominent Senate Republicans have joined together to sponsor a bill eliminating Major League Baseball’s antitrust exemption in response to the league’s protest of election integrity legislation in Georgia.
Sens. Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Mike Lee are proposing the legislation and specifically cited the league’s decision to move its All-Star Game out of Georgia earlier this month because of a controversial law strengthening voting safeguards.
Sens. Cruz, Hawley and Lee to announce legislation to end MLB’s anti-trust exemption today (the exemption is the result of a 1920s SCOTUS ruling) pic.twitter.com/j4abTRBfBU
— Allan Smith (@akarl_smith) April 13, 2021
“Monopolies and liberty are not compatible,” Hawley said Monday during an appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight. “No corporation should be so big or so powerful that it can control the political process, that it can override the will of the voters.”
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The antitrust exemption dates back to a Supreme Court case in 1922 that, if stripped away, would leave Major League Baseball vulnerable to antitrust legislation and expose them to competition.
Republicans have been critical of Major League Baseball for moving the game in response to legislation that went through the democratic process, arguing that the league is both thwarting the will of the people and negatively affecting Georgia residents.
It is estimated that the decision to move the game out of Georgia will cost the state $100 million in lost revenue, which has angered many small business owners.
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The legislation proposed by the Republican senators could potentially receive support from some Democrats, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, who called for a reexamination of baseball’s antitrust exemption in 2019 after the league shut down minor league teams.
Hawley, Cruz, and Lee are scheduled to speak at a press conference Tuesday to explain more about the legislation.
