Friday, March 11, 2022

Time to 'Spring Forward' this Weekend

Posted By on Fri, Mar 11, 2022 at 2:03 PM

click to enlarge Remember to set those clocks ahead an hour. - FILE
  • File
  • Remember to set those clocks ahead an hour.
The twice a year ritual of changing the clocks arrives at 2 a.m. Sunday, as we "spring forward" again to begin daylight saving time, which means darker mornings and losing an hour of sleep.

Seemingly right on cue, Congress is once again debating whether it's time to end to what many consider an outdated practice of changing over each fall and spring that comes with public health and safety risks, including an uptick in heart attacks and car accidents whenever the switch-overs occur, disrupting the nation's sleep patterns.

But that leaves the questions: Does the country stay on standard time or daylight saving time, or should individual states be able to decide which route to take?

Earlier this week, a subcommittee of the  House Energy and Commerce Committee heard from three experts, according to a Washington Post report, as part of a fact-finding session in preparation for possible legislation. And the panel got three different answers, with one expert touting standard time, another daylight saving and the third voicing support for continuing the clock change.

Under the federal Uniform Time Act, states only have two options: spring forward at the appointed time each year or just stay on standard time, which Arizona and Hawaii have opted to do. But it will take an act of Congress for states to keep that extra hour of daylight.

So, even though California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 7 to switch permanently over to daylight saving time back in 2018, the ballot measure still needs to be ratified by a two-thirds vote in the state Senate, which hasn’t happened yet.

And even if it did, California would simply join the ranks of a dozen states waiting for the required Congressional approval to make the move, which isn't likely to happen any time soon.

Until then, remember to set your clocks ahead an hour before going to sleep Saturday night.
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About The Author

Kimberly Wear

Bio:
Kimberly Wear is the assistant editor of the North Coast Journal.

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