It’s believed that Thomas Jefferson said, “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.”

Whether the man known informally as Father of the Declaration of Independence who served as the nation’s third president actually uttered those exact words is subject to debate.

What can’t be debated, though, is the wisdom and absolute truth of the words.

That’s why The Mining Journal has launched a new feature appearing on page 5A today. Entitled “Michigan Votes,” the material consists, in a nutshell, of a thorough rundown of what our elected state officials are actually doing in Lansing that has substance.

By substance, we mean what measures are they voting on and how did they vote. Non-substantial matters would include, in our opinion, partisan squabbling, having drama with each other and contriving to plug into the national political nonsense that pervades Washington, D.C.

Working with the well-regarded Mackinac Center for Public policy, located in downstate Midland, The Mining Journal plans to bring this information to readers on a recurring basis, when enough of it is available.

Hopefully, our elected officials will do enough when in session that this is something readers can look forward to each week. We can’t make promises, though as that’s something we can’t control.

At a time when legislative decisions have achieved a historic importance and the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the state, we believe the material itself is of decisive importance. It will allow Mining Journal readers the opportunity to see exactly how state Sen. Ed McBroom and state Reps. Sarah Cambensy and Greg Markkonen voted on specific issues.

The bills at issue will be described in some detail. How the elected official voted will follow. Period. No commentary, no support or opposition, just the facts of the work.

It’s easy to forget or overlook the relationship dynamics between the people voted into office and the people who who cast ballots. Simply put, they work for you and they should be focused on what’s best for you and the geographic area your from, not partisan bickering or drama.

We sincerely believe “Michigan Votes” will help voters determine who their elected officials are and what they’re doing — and then take that information along when they vote.