State Rep. Fritts explains Chamber exit, calls for ‘level playing field’ amid DEI debate

State Rep. Brad Fritts, R-Dixon, spoke with Shaw Local during a stop on his summer tour Thursday, Aug. 21, to explain his decision to withdraw from the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, citing concerns over the removal of the word “God” from a prayer at a scholarship fundraiser and the inclusion of a DEI statement on the organization’s website.

He said he found the SVACC’s decision to alter the prayer at the Aug. 1 annual Steak Fry in the Country troubling, adding that the event was on private land and had historically included religious references.

“The Chamber pointed to that DEI statement as the reason for having to cut ‘God’ and ‘Amen’ out of the prayer. Coming from a farm background, that’s troublesome to me,” Fritts said. “Because as farmers, we put seeds in the ground ... and then we get on our knees and pray to God for the year for enough rain. We pray for the rain to stop when we get too much. We pray for sunshine. It’s such a spiritual thing, and to cut that out, really hammered the roots of the farming community.”

Although Fritts said he believes in religious freedom for all, he framed the issue as a matter of majority values, placing the responsibility on objectors to opt out, rather than on organizers to create inclusive spaces.

“If you don’t feel comfortable, step outside for the prayer if you want to continue to support the event or don’t come to the event. We all have that prerogative,” Fritts said. “I firmly believe in freedom of religion. But the freedom of religion extends to everybody, and if they want to, at a private residence and an event like that, where it’s holy farmers who are God-fearing individuals, if they want to have a prayer, that’s their prerogative to do so under that freedom.”

Fritts said he is walking away from the SVACC until it “rethinks” some of its policies.

“They point to five-star accreditation as the reason for needing to include a DEI statement,” Fritts said. “I’m sorry, but if you have to put a statement on your website that says how welcoming you are, you aren’t a very welcoming organization.”

In his Wednesday news release announcing his departure from the SVACC, Fritts criticized the organization for turning the scholarship event into “political games.”

“In walking away, I want to draw attention to the fact that you need to be a welcoming organization by your actions, and not just in words,” Fritts said. “Again, it’s [about] representing our Sauk Valley business community. As far as the Washington, D.C., stuff goes, if that’s what you have to do to be a part of that, then guess what? I don’t really care, and nobody else should, because we’re focused on our business community, right here in the Sauk Valley region.”

The Chamber’s board of directors on Wednesday said the SVACC is reaffirming its mission of enhancing the economic climate and quality of life in the Sauk Valley area, “through its commitment to being a nonpartisan and nondenominational organization that serves the entire community without bias or affiliation to any specific political party or religious denomination.”

Fritts argued that traditions such as the Steak Fry in the Country’s opening prayer are integral to the values of the community and should not be altered based on the complaints of a few, stating, “To let the small minority of complainants now change the whole demographic of how that event is conducted is disheartening. If you have a problem, step out. And I had a problem in this particular case, so I’m going to step out.”

He went on to add that even if the SVACC had not altered the prayer, he still opposes the inclusion of DEI on its website.

“I believe wholeheartedly in talent and work ethic. To me, it doesn’t matter your race, it doesn’t matter your gender, ... any of it,” Fritts said. “If you’re the most qualified individual for a position, if you bring benefit to the community ... you should have a job, you should have a place. ... but to have to put it on the website like that just for national approval is pretty disappointing to me.”

When asked if he believes underrepresented communities still face structural barriers, he stated, “I’m sure there’s still bias out there, and I hope that our community rallies to call that out when necessary. However, I think for the most part, I would stand with and for the majority of people who say it doesn’t matter what your race, religion, color or creed is. We want the most qualified individual who’s going to do the best job and be the best contributing member of society, and I will stand by that all day long.”

When asked whether DEI – originally designed to support underrepresented communities – could be reframed as a shared goal rather than a divisive one, Fritts reaffirmed his belief in a merit-based approach.

“We are a long way out from where we used to be in our history,” Fritts said. “And I believe at this point in time, the best way to move forward is to let everybody be on a level playing field, to let merit, work ethic and overall talent dictate the future of this country.”