After the Tampa Bay Rays tweeted support for gun control measures, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Florida) vetoed funding for a baseball facility in Tampa, Florida that is used by the Rays for training.
The funding bill, written by state Sen. Danny Burgess (R-Florida), was thought to be ready to be signed by the governor.
The veto comes after activists and celebrities advocated for gun regulations following the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays skipped the usual coverage of their game to share their condolences on Twitter.
“The devastating events that have taken place in Uvalde, Buffalo and countless other communities across our nation are tragedies that are intolerable,” the Yankees wrote.
The Rays also have a close connection to the recent shooting in Uvalde. Brooks Raley, a pitcher for the Rays, attended the same school where the tragedy took place.
“It’s just a tragedy. Obviously, growing up there and going to that school, it kind of hits home,” Raley said during an interview. “It’s small and a close-knit community, so it’s obviously tough.”
Recently, the Rays have teamed up with Everytown, a gun safety and gun control advocacy group.
The Ray’s recently tweeted: “When an assault weapon is used in a mass shooting, it results in six times as many people shot than when other guns are used.”
DeSantis reportedly decided on the veto after the Rays took an organizational stance on gun control following the shooting in Uvalde.
DeSantis said, “I don’t support giving taxpayer dollars to professional sports stadiums… Either way, it’s not appropriate, but we were not in a situation where use of tax dollars for a professional stadium would have been a prudent use.”
