On Tuesday, June 10, Wisconsin State Representative Barbara Dittrich released a statement about her exclusion from Oconomowoc’s upcoming 4th of July parade. Rep. Dittrich revealed that she was not allowed to participate in the upcoming event because of her status as a partisan legislator. She stated that despite having submitted her entry fee and filing the proper paperwork to be in the parade, she was “Shocked” when they recently refunded her entry fee. Without warning, the Representative, along with several other elected officials, were simultaneously refunded. Rep. Dittrich has marched in the parade for several years prior, and claimed that the decision to exclude her was “Offensive”.

The decision to ban Rep. Dittrich and other party affiliated groups was announced by Oconomowoc’s Rotary Club on Monday, June 9. The Rotary Club is in charge of putting on Oconomowoc’s annual Independence Day parade. The group claimed that they were trying to give the parade a “Non-political nature” despite having allowed partisan affiliated groups to participate in the past in previous years.

A majority of elected officials who represent Oconomowoc, such as Rep. Dittrich, United States Representative Scott Fitzgerald, and Wisconsin State Senator Chris Kapenga are all members of the Republican Party. The parade ban would directly prohibit these individuals from partaking in the community event. However, individuals in elected non-partisan roles, such as mayor Robert P. Magnus and the city’s aldermen. Only local officials would be allowed to appear, while all state and federal officials would be excluded.

Rep. Dittrich went on to express her disappointment over the situation due to her long history with the city of Oconomowoc. She spoke about having a small business in the area, sending her children to Oconomowoc High School, and she and her husband’s prior relationship with the Rotary Club’s business exchange program.