Some say, let’s lose Daylight Saving Time

Published 9:41 am Saturday, March 9, 2024

The sleep foundation did a survey that found more than 60 percent of Americans want to stop all of this springing forward, falling back. At least 30 states have considered, or are considering legislation or resolutions related to Daylight Saving Time this year, according to National Conference of State Legislatures online news. Louisiana is among them, but it will take federal approval of the Sunshine Act to make it happen.

The “Sunshine Protection Act” was filed by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass)  to establish a permanent daylight saving time in the U.S., leading to later sunrises and sunsets during the four months in which most of the U.S. currently observes standard time, resulting in less sunlight in the morning hours and more sunlight in the evening ones.

In Louisiana, State Rep, Dodie Horton’s (R-Haughton) daylight time trigger law passed in 2020. Delaware, Idaho, Florida, Maine, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Tennessee, Washington and Wyoming have also passed trigger laws to make daylight saving time permanent, meaning when Washington pulls the trigger, the states are ready to go.

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The following statements from Markey and Rubio are from Markey’s website. “Instead of springing forward and falling back every year, we should just make Daylight Saving Time permanent,” said Senator Markey. “The antiquated biannual ritual of toggling between times isn’t just an inconvenience—it also has very real impacts on our economy, our energy consumption, and our health. We know the sun will come out tomorrow, so let’s make that sun stay out an hour later by making Daylight Saving Time permanent and passing the Sunshine Protection Act.  You can bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there’ll be sun … and smiles. “We’re ‘springing forward’ but should have never ‘fallen back.’ My Sunshine Protection Act would end this stupid practice of changing our clocks back and forth,” said Senator Rubio.

In 2018 Rubio first introduced his bill. It was reintroduced in 2019 and 2021, In 2022 it received Senate unanimous consent, but it died in the House without getting a vote. In 2023 it stalled again. Arizona and Hawaii don’t observe daylight saving time. Mexico ended daylight saving time last year.

Daylight saving time was enacted in 1916 to help conserve fuel during World War I. It was brought back in 1966 to standardize time across the country. Originally scheduled for six months of the year, it was extended by Congress in 2005 to eight months.