The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce is replacing its president following two years of spirited legislative debates over business measures ranging from firearms at the workplace to discrimination against gay employees.
The chamber says Deb Woolley's last day as president of the state's largest trade association was May 31st. No reason was given for her departure, and Woolley did not return messages seeking comment. Business groups this year raised serious concerns over a National Rifle Association-backed bill to guarantee workers the right to store guns in vehicles parked in company lots – regardless of their employers' wishes. Last year, the chamber first supported, but later opposed a bill seeking to halt local governments from enacting anti-discrimination standards for contractors that are stricter than the state's.
