NASHVILLE, Tenn (AP/WMOT) — Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey is chiding the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce for focusing on a bill to guarantee workers the right to store firearms in vehicles parked on company lots.
The Blountville Republican acknowledged Wednesday that the guns-in-parking-lots measure involves prickly property rights issues, but said he expects to reach a compromise on the matter.
In a recent interview with WMOT, Chief Policy Officer Mark Hill was adamant about the chamber’s opposition.
“A property owner has the right to determine what happens on their property. In the case of a business, if they don’t want to have firearms on their property, they ought’ a have the right to state that and to prevent that from happening. I’m not sure what problem this is trying to fix.”
Ramsey told the chamber audience he believes there are far more important business issues pending in the Legislature, including a bill that would make it easier to deny unemployment insurance to fired employees.