Starting in January, Democrats who’ve controlled both chambers of the Legislature and occupied the offices of the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state will have to hand over the gavel in the state House, as Republicans won control of that chamber as part of the red wave that propelled Donald Trump back to the White House.

But for the next seven weeks or so, Democrats will maintain their trifecta, and they’ll be looking to press some last-minute priorities in the period between Election Day and Inauguration Day known as “lame duck.”

We urge Democrats to make government transparency part of that push.

Michigan is one of only a couple states that allow the governor and lawmakers to keep secrets from the public because the Michigan Freedom of Information Act specifically exempts the Legislature and Governor’s Office from disclosure requirements.

For years and years, governors and lawmakers of both parties have talked a big game about ending that secrecy by expanding FOIA to include the governor and lawmakers.

Yet, for years and years, such talk has gone nowhere as lawmakers failed to vote to hold themselves accountable.

In this legislative session, transparency advocates got closer than ever before when the state Senate passed Senate Bills 669 and 670 to hold lawmakers and the governor more accountable to the public.

The bills then moved over the state House, where they’ve stalled in the Committee on Government Operations since June.

The bills aren’t nearly perfect. They contain too many exemptions from disclosure that allow the state’s chief executive and its lawmakers to maintain too many secrets, but the bills offer more than Michiganders have ever had before, and they ought to be signed into law.

We call on state Rep. Tullio Liberati, D-Allen Park, the chairman of the Committee on Government Operations, to advance the bills, and we call on state House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, to put them on the floor of the House for a vote without delay so the bills can be sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s desk for her signature.

And we call on all readers to reach out to let those lawmakers know you don’t want policymakers to operate in the dark any longer. Liberati can be reached at tullioliberati@house.mi.gov or 517-373-1776. Tate can be reached at joetate@house.mi.gov or 517-373-0857.

Government works best when it’s fully answerable to the people. That can’t happen unless the people can get at least a glimpse into the inner workings of the government.

And that begins with the right to request documents from the government, as FOIA allows for all Michigan local governments and for state agencies.

It’s time to hold the governor and lawmakers to the same standard.

Expand FOIA in lame duck.

— The Alpena News