Although it’s taken longer than we would have liked, we were pleased to see the Michigan Legislature finally take positive steps forward in extending the Michigan Freedom of Information Act to not only itself, but to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The Detroit Free Press reported that elected officials from both parties introduced bills in the State Senate.

State Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah, fronted the Republican version.

McBroom told the Free Press that he is “glad to see these sunshine laws get a new dawn.”

So are we.

We remind readers that in 2018, Whitmer, then a candidate for the state’s highest office, said that she would handle requests for information to her office as if her office was already covered by FOIA.

That has not happened, at least to the extent that we had hoped it would.

We suspect some readers become weary of hearing First Amendment speakers such as The Mining Journal continually intone relative to transparency in government.

If the truth be known, we get tired of bringing it up. But we know from hard-won experience that if we fail to hold politicians’ collective feet to the fire on this issue, problems will ensue. History is replete with examples of what happens in government at all levels when transparency goes out the door.

We hope the newly introduced bills find favor in their respective committees and that Whitmer, at some point in the future, signs one of them into law.

Transparency is tied to truth, and without truth, democracy fails.

— The Mining Journal, Marquette