By Jordyn Hermani
Staff Writer
Posted: May 27, 2020 10:40 AM

Since the stay home order has taken effect, government entities of all sorts are turning to Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Facebook Live and other forms of livestream so their business can be observed in compliance with the Open Meetings Act.

It's been interesting to watch how different organizations and institutions are making that happen.

For some, especially non-journalists, it's allowing for the observance of things like the Enbridge Line 5 court hearing against Attorney General Dana Nessel, or an inside look into what the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy is doing during its U.P. Energy Task Force meetings.

Suddenly, things that were hundreds of miles away and would take all day to attend have entered into our houses, onto our phones and computers, and given us the ability to stay informed about what our state, the courts and other organizations are doing during the pandemic – not just about the pandemic, but commencing with business as usual.

Even officials are taking notice of how this has opened up access to government proceedings. At one point during the livestream, more than 7,000 people tuned in to watch a May 15 Court of Claims hearing wherein the state Legislature sued Governor Gretchen Whitmer, alleging she is misusing her emergency powers.

7,400! https://t.co/kgQ4fLr641 pic.twitter.com/2NpjUGXwLx

— Lori Shemka (@shemkalegal) May 15, 2020

No courtroom in the world would be able to house that many attendees.

While there are drawbacks to this sort of function – particularly for individuals with visual or audio disabilities – it shouldn't mean the state wholesale does away with online streaming services as soon as in-person meetings should commence. That goes for the federal courts as well.

Are there issues with conducting meetings this way? Yes. Buffering problems, audio failures, dropped calls – to name a few – abound when trying to use livestreaming services.

But because the state is being forced to use them during the ongoing pandemic, this is a chance to see these services be workshopped so that they can function in a more streamlined way. This is a chance for institutions – like the courts, like various government task forces – to invite the public in and help dispel that mistrust of bureaucracy, by allowing them first-hand to see what's discussed and how decisions are reached.

If anything comes out of the aftermath of this pandemic, it should be a commitment to more and better transparency when it comes to meetings that affect the average citizen. We should see embrace the power of technology and the accessibility it offers, not spurn it as soon as in-person meetings can recommence.