Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has defended his $ 35 million veto to fund a potential spring training ground for the Tampa Bay Race after a Major League Baseball team used social media to raise awareness of B-gun gun violence after a mass shooting. , New York and Uwalde, Texas.
“I do not support giving dollars to taxpayers in professional sports stadiums,” DeSantis said on Friday when asked about the veto in financing the sports complex.
“Companies are free to engage or not engage in whatever discourse they want, but it is clearly inappropriate to pay taxes for professional sports stadiums. It is also inappropriate to subsidize the political activity of a private corporation. “
On May 26, after what they called “the devastating events of Uwalde, Buffalo and countless other communities in our nation,” the broadcasters said they would donate $ 50,000 to the Everytown Weapons Security Support Fund and use your social media. channels for offering facts about gun violence.
The New York Yankees also used social media to deal with the shootings during a match between the two teams last week.
On Friday, citing an unnamed source, CNN reported that DeSantis ‘decision to block funding was influenced in part by the Rays’ tweets about the shootings.
In Uwalde, an 18-year-old armed man armed with a semi-automatic rifle killed 19 children and two primary school teachers. The shooting came days after a gunman shot dead 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo.
“Instead of covering the game and working with the Tampa Bay Rays, we will use our channels to offer facts about the impact of gun violence,” the Yankees said in a statement.
“The devastating events that took place in Uwalde, Buffalo and countless other communities in our nation are tragedies that are unbearable.
The rays said the shooting “could not be normal.”
During their game last Thursday, both teams posted facts about gun violence on their social media pages, with links to sources and helplines. No team publishes the result of the match.
After the shooting with Uwalde, Steve Kerr, coach of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, declined to speak about basketball at a pre-match press conference, instead calling for tighter gun control legislation.
Steve Kerr calls lack of gun control “pathetic” after massacre at Texas school – video
DeSantis made the problems of the cultural war, including gun control, a calling card, to rise to prominence as a possible Republican presidential candidate.
On another front on Friday, DeSantis announced that the Special Olympics had revoked the coronavirus vaccine mandate for its upcoming Orlando Games after he moved to fine the organization $ 27.5 million for violating state law against such rules.
The Florida Special Olympics competition is scheduled for June 5-12.
DeSantis told a news conference in Orlando: “In Florida, we want them all to be able to compete. We do not think it is fair or just to marginalize some of these athletes on the basis of a decision that has nothing to do with their ability to compete with honor or integrity. “
The Florida Department of Health notified the Special Olympics of the fine in a letter Thursday, saying the organization will be fined $ 27.5 million for 5,500 violations of state law because it requires proof of coronavirus vaccination for attendees or participants.
Florida law prohibits companies from requiring documentation of vaccination against Covid-19. DeSantis strongly opposed vaccine mandates and other virus policies approved by the federal government.
In a statement on its website, the Special Olympics said that people who had been registered but could not participate due to their mandate could now attend.
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