Today, too many government boards refuse to continue offering the Zoom capability that has become a part of everyday life for many Iowans.

Today, too many city councils, school boards and county boards of supervisors have turned their backs on the technology that got them through the early months of the pandemic, before vaccines eased people’s anxieties about being in close proximity with large numbers of people. Meeting notices and meeting agendas told the public how they could watch without having to be in the audience where the meetings originated.īut if anyone asks about my impressions now, I would tell them things have changed - and not always for the better. Officials swiftly began making their meetings available through livestreaming on Facebook or on videoconferencing platforms like Zoom. In the months after Covid became Public Enemy #1 three years ago, it was impressive how quickly local governments across Iowa and our state government scrambled to adapt to holding their public meetings when the public was hesitant to venture into potentially large gatherings in small-ish spaces. These days, this is what I tell them if they ask: One question that often comes up in those settings and in individual conversations with government leaders is some version of, “How are we doing?” Periodically, I speak to groups of government employees and elected officials. We advocate on behalf of the public and journalists for government transparency and accountability to the people of this state.

This nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has been around for 40-plus years. In my day job, I wear the hat of the executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council.

What is zoom for government