Elected bodies in Indiana now must livestream meetings

Chicago Tribune

7 days ago

Lake Station city council members voiced concern last week over a Tuesday deadline requiring them to livestream their public meetings.
The city didn't join the trend during the COVID-19 pandemic when many city councils and school boards began offering their meetings online via YouTube, Facebook Live, or Zoom technologies.
Despite Lake Station council members' worry, Mayor Bill Carroll said the city was prepared and its meetings would appear on YouTube.
State lawmakers passed the new law in 2023, deliberately giving elected bodies two years to prepare. It requires state and local agencies like county commissions, town and city councils and school boards, to livestream public meetings beginning July 1.
The law also requires any public body, like a plan commission, which meets in a space where the council or school board meets, to also livestream meetings.
Putting meetings online was one of Portage Mayor Austin Bonta's goals when he took office in 2024. Some were already online, but he wanted to include all meetings. Accomplishing it meant expanding the contract to provide that service.
It isn't as easy as just flipping a switch. Someone has to be there to make sure everything is being recorded, that microphones work properly and that when developers, attorneys and others have a laptop to plug in, there is a trouble-shooter on hand so presentations can show on the screen.
The Portage Township School Board already had been putting meetings online. The board likes to hold its meetings at various schools throughout the district to showcase programs at those schools, so the technology has to be transported from place to place, not just permanently installed in the administration building.
Porter County government used American Rescue Plan Act money to upgrade the audiovisual setup in the commissioners' chamber, the large meeting room where most county meetings are held.
In 2023, lawmakers said the goal of the measure was to increase transparency. If a government body doesn't comply, a citizen can file an open-door law complaint with Indiana's public access counselor. If upheld, elected officials would have to hold another meeting.
If governments don't have livestreaming capabilities, a recording must be archived and available online for 90 days and include links to the meeting's agenda and minutes.
The law's author, state Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn, said the legislation encourages civic engagement.
'Hoosier taxpayers deserve to have access to public meetings, and government works best when accountability and transparency are at the forefront,' Smaltz said in a 2023 release.
'The pandemic really demonstrated how widespread and inexpensive livestreaming technology has become,' Smaltz said.
He said governing bodies can also utilize free livestreaming on social media platforms or host it on their existing websites.