LYNCHBURG, Va. – Virginia Sen. Mark Warner is stepping up to the plate to help minor league baseball teams who are struggling from the pandemic.
The Democratic senator is introducing legislation to repurpose $550 million of COVID-relief funds that haven’t been used.
The bill has bipartisan support and is modeled after legislation that helped music venues and theaters.
The relief would go to minor league teams owned by local investors, not by Major League Baseball owners.
“In many of these communities, if we don’t see this kind of relief, these teams may go out of existence; and in so many smaller communities, a night at the ballpark with the family is a great economic engine, but these teams often times bring communities together,” said Senator Warner.
Teams would receive up to 45% of their revenues from the 2019 season to put towards payroll and operating expenses.