Published on March 25, 2021 14h45
A local lawmaker is promoting a bill that would make daylight saving time all year in Pennsylvania.
Ryan MacKenzie, R-Lehigh and Berks pointed out several perceived benefits while leading the project to the State Government Committee of the House last week.
The committee approved bill 23-2, but approval still has a long way to go. He must get the support of the entire House and Senate, and then get the signature of Governor Tom Wolf, who has shown no signs of how he could react if the bill reaches his table.
The biggest problem is whether the rest of the country will accept such a change. In this regard, there seems to be a renewed interest in this issue, which seems to continue to repeat itself every few years.
At the national level, Senator Marco Rubio, R-Florida, was the main proponent, and he and a bipartisan group of colleagues once again introduced legislation when the new Congress met earlier this year.
Rubio was joined by four Republicans and three Democrats in this latest effort to make daylight saving time permanent in the United States.
The Florida legislature enacted the STD in 2018, but its implementation depends on the adoption of a national law. The same is true in 15 other states that have taken similar measures. They are: Arkansas, Alabama, California, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Bills in other states, including Pennsylvania, are going through the legislative process.
This year, daylight saving time began on March 14 and will end on Sunday, November 7.
Mackenzie cited “several studies”, which he said would lead to energy savings, although this theory has been contested by some analysts. He also said there would be fewer crimes because of more daylight at the end of the day. There would even be healthier individuals because of fewer strokes, fewer traffic accidents and more time to enjoy outdoor activities and a healthier lifestyle, said Mackenzie.
Rubio said the momentum is growing to “end the old-fashioned practice of changing the clock”. He also pointed out the benefits of making the change. The sponsoring senators believe it is time to “close the clock” and free the country from these biennial disturbances.
Sponsors are gaining public support after a year-long interruption because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even the name of the bill – the Sun Protection Act – encourages optimism about what this measure might mean.
The United States Chamber of Commerce has been a strong supporter of daylight saving time throughout the year because the extra hours of daylight would help companies that promote outdoor leisure activities. Golf, for example, would be a major beneficiary.
Many parents were opposed in the past when the whole year was experienced, because it meant that their children would be forced to wait more hours at the school bus stop in total darkness during the winter months.
Proponents believe that the current century-old arrangement has lost its usefulness. During the First World War, Germany started using DST to save fuel. The rest of Europe followed. Congress enacted the Standard Time Act of 1918, which defined daylight saving time from March 31 to October 27. The concept was never consolidated due to its unpopularity.
From 1945 to 1966, there was no federal law, so communities individually chose when to start and end daylight saving time. This, together with the disconcerting time zones, has led to total confusion in some parts of the country.
After the short-term summer time experience showed little benefit, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act in 1986, which established daylight saving time from the first Sunday in April until the last Sunday in October. This configuration lasted until 2009, when the Energy Policy Law came into force, and this is the program under which we operate today.
How do you feel about daylight saving time all year long? Send me an email saying why you are for or against, and I will share your comments with other readers in a later column.
By Bruce Frassinelli | [email protected]
The above opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.