Daylight saving time has sparked debate across the United States, as more states push to abolish the time change. The practice, which involves adjusting clocks twice a year, has been controversial for a long time. Recently, legislation and public figures have had concerns about its impact on public health and daily life, leaving people wondering, should daylight saving time end once and for all?
Daylight saving time was first introduced in the United States during World War I to extend daylight hours and reduce power outages by shifting the time by an hour, reducing the need for electric lighting. The current system calls for clocks to be set forward in the spring and moved back in the fall, with these days being known as spring forward and fall back. Although most states follow this schedule, Hawaii and most of Arizona do not. Daylight saving time has faced increasing criticism recently due to it disrupting the sleep of many people, which some argue can lead to health issues like fatigue and heart problems.
“I think it’s a good proposal to get rid of it,” Caden Hardy, a junior at Tualatin High School, said. “There are studies that show the time change losing an hour causes a significant increase in car crashes and other accidents on the day of. I also don’t think it’s necessary considering the effect it can have on people.”
In March 2022, the U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which is legislation that makes daylight saving time permanent. However, the bill has not yet been approved by the House of Representatives. Several states, including Texas and California, have introduced legislation to either make daylight saving time permanent or get rid of it altogether. The opinion of the public has increasingly leaned toward eliminating the time change, with surveys showing strong support for creating a permanent standard time in each time zone. People argue that getting rid of the time change would improve sleep cycles and habits, reduce health risks, especially in the elderly and avoid disruptions caused by the time shifts each year.
In Oregon, both legislative houses approved a measure to do away with daylight saving time in 2019, but enacting it depended on Congressional action, which didn’t materialize. Now, local lawmakers are considering a bill to make standard time permanent, which would be in line with neighboring states that don’t observe daylight saving time. Oregon residents are becoming more and more frustrated with the twice-yearly time changes.
As states push for change and the support for a standard time grows, the future of daylight saving time remains uncertain. While many states are ready to eliminate it, others are keeping it around, maintaining the debate. It remains to be seen whether the U.S. will adopt a standard time system in the near future or if the states will continue to have divided views on its practicality.
