Midweek Online Poll: Bill In Congress To End Time Changes
The U.S. Senate has unanimously voted to keep the country on Daylight Saving Time year-round.
The bill now goes on the the U.S. House of Representatives. You can read the Sunshine Protection Act here.
The legislation would not take effect until November of 2023, meaning the nation would still face time changes this fall and again next spring before ending the practice at that point and staying permanently on Daylight Saving Time.
That, by the way, is the correct term for the summer time schedule, although people often call it "Daylight Savings Time."
The Wyoming Legislature a couple of years ago passed a law doing away with the twice a year time change, but only if four surropunding states do the same. As of yet, that has not happened.
Supporters of the current system say it is a tradition that most people have gotten used to and like. Some also claim that it "helps farmers," and say that moving to Daylight Saving Time would mean that school kids would be going to school in the dark for at least part of the year.
It originally was implemented in part to reduce energy consumption, but in an age of computers and air conditioning it isn't clear that the energy argument still applies. Some studies find a very small reduction of around 1 percent in energy usage during DST, others have found no change or even a small increase in energy consumption.
Supporters of doing away with the twice a year time changes point to an increase in accidents and heart attacks when the clock changes. They say that many people report that the disruption in their sleep schedules affects them for up to a week after the clocks change
They also argue that schools, and for that matter farmers or anyone else, could simply adjust their schedules to make them more workable. They add that once the adjustments are made, they could remain in place since the time would not change twice a year.
So what do you think? Is it time to do away with time changes twice a year? Or do you like the current system?
Take our poll and give us your opinion!