House Passes Bill Making Daylight Saving Time Permanent 

On Tuesday, the House voted to pass legislation to make daylight saving time permanent. 

According to Politico, the final vote of 308-117 was strange in that it didn’t cleanly fall along party lines. Twenty-two Republican representatives voted against the bill alongside 95 Democrats, despite President Donald Trump publicly supporting the effort. There were strong arguments both for and against the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent year-round. 

Representatives from Florida were adamant in their support for the bill. “Why in the heck are we still changing our clocks?” Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) asked during the floor debate period. “Floridians — we are the Sunshine State. We value sunshine.”

Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) cosigned with Cammack, adding, “This is not about politics. This is about practicality. It is about recognizing that our laws should keep pace with the people we represent.”

While permanent daylight saving time might have some benefits in the Sunshine State, members of Congress representing more agricultural states expressed concerns about potentially delaying daylight for farmers. While the sun would set later in the day under permanent daylight saving time, it would also rise later, with some states potentially not seeing the sun rise until after 9 a.m. In fact, those late sunrises are why the switch between standard and daylight saving time was implemented in the ‘70s.

Some representatives have argued that the sun rising so late could turn into a safety hazard. 

“I’m not for it,” Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said in an interview. “I think having kids go to school when it’s dark doesn’t make sense, and that’s the major reason.”

Which is valid, but many kids are already going to school in the dark when it’s wintertime. 

The Hill reports that 19 states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee, already have legislation in place to make daylight saving time permanent should the bill pass through Congress. 

That is somewhat unlikely, though, as it’s already seen as a nonstarter in the Senate. Senate Leader John Thune is reportedly opposed to the bill and is unlikely to override Sen. Tom Cotton’s (R-Ark.) efforts to shut it down. 

As someone who’s lived in Arizona for most of my life, daylight saving time has rarely been a factor for me. Having lived in other states that did change their clocks, it was annoying at first, but I was never like, “We need legislation to do something about this.” 

As someone who lives in the desert, I suffer no lack of sunshine even in the winter months. During the summer, the sun rises around 5:30 a.m. and around 7-ish during the winter. It’s nice not having to change my clocks twice a year, but it also comes with living in the third ring of hell.

What works for us may not work for other states, though, and I think that’s the fundamental issue with this bill. Some states actually do benefit from changing between standard and daylight saving time. 

I know I’m speaking as someone who doesn’t have to deal with daylight saving time, but I honestly think that Congress’s time would be better spent addressing the fact that a majority of Americans believe groceries are unaffordable, as opposed to an issue that is inconvenient at worst. 

SEE ALSO:

Time Change: The History Of Daylight Savings Time

Daylight Saving Time Explained

House Passes Bill Making Daylight Saving Time Permanent  was originally published on newsone.com