Bill to abolish daylight saving time gets first hearing

[Wrightwood]

By Alexei Koseff

akoseff@sacbee.com

Is California ready to end daylight saving time? In February, the introduction of a bill seeking to abolish our biannual changing of the clocks unleashed a passionate explosion of responses, and both fans and haters of the dubiously beneficial tradition have been on tenterhooks for months over its fate.

The wait is now over. AB 385, by Assemblyman Kansen Chu, D-San Jose, is finally set for its first hearing in the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, which meets today in Room 112 of the Capitol upon the adjournment of the floor session. (The committee will also separately consider a resolution asking the federal government to extend daylight saving time year-round.)

http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article83136387.html

[Wrightwood]

California voters approved getting rid of daylight saving time. Here's what happened

By James W Jakobs
Monday, November 4, 2019 1:31PM
California voters approved Proposition 7 to end Daylight Saving Time on November 6, 2018.

So, why did we still change our clocks this past weekend?

It's a fairly straightforward answer with a not-so-simple solution.

The California Legislature needs to get a bill passed, and then Congress needs to approve it.
Democratic Rep. Kansen Chu of San Jose says he sponsored Proposition 7 because changing the clocks twice a year is a hassle.

At the time, Chu said it's been shown to increase the risk of car accidents and heart attacks following the spring change when people lose an hour's sleep after moving clocks forward.

So, what's next?

In January, Rep. Chu says he will introduce an Assembly Joint Resolution urging Congress to authorize states to practice permanent daylight saving time and continue his work to pass Assembly Bill 7 so California is ready for when Congress decides to take action.

According to Rep. Chu's office, there are four bills awaiting action in Congress that would allow California to be on permanent daylight saving time. Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA-17) is a cosponsor of H.R. 1556 with Representative Vern Buchannan (R-FL-16) which sets the country on permanent daylight saving time.

The bill is currently pending a hearing in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

There is an identical bill in the Senate, S. 670 pending a hearing in the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. H.R. 1601 and H.R. 2389 both authorize states to shift to permanent daylight saving time and are pending hearings in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Congress has until December 2020 to act on these bills.

Not all states observe Daylight Saving Time nor are they required to by law.

Arizona and Hawaii don't currently observe DST and Indiana only started observing it in 2006.

According to a recent Associated Press poll, most people across the country want to stop the twice-a-year ritual of clock changes.

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll comes as this weekend marked the end of daylight saving time. It found that 7 in 10 Americans prefer not to switch back and forth. Four in 10 would like to see their clocks stay on standard time year-round, while about 3 in 10 prefer to stay on daylight saving time.

About another 3 in 10 prefer the current back and forth between daylight saving time in the summer and standard time in the winter. At least seven state legislatures have asked Congress to allow year-round daylight saving time.

 https://abc7.com/politics/california-voters-approved-getting-rid-of-daylight-saving-time-heres-what-happened/5671455/

[TimG]

I know it's a doomed point, but what everyone really wants is to make Daylight Savings year-round with no change -- later sunsets permanently, rather than earlier sunsets permanently.

[ForestGal]

I would certainly vote for permanent DST.  I hate it when it gets dark so early in the evening, and I don't usually get up early anyway, unless I have to, so I'd much rather have it light later.  Changing the clocks twice a year is a real pain. 

[Cheapskate]

Well, I rise early and hate it when it's dark; I'd vote for permanent standard time. If DST was permanent, in Jan/Feb first period at Serrano high would be in the dark.

[trailerCaptain]

If DST was permanent, in Jan/Feb first period at Serrano high would be in the dark.

If only Serrano High had the ability to change their start time...

[ad astra]

[ad astra]

[ChrisLynnet]

Heh, I'm with the 4 in 10 Americans who want daylight standard time all year. I can live with the clock change if I have to, but I really hate daylight savings time and never want to go to it permanently.

[tcaarabians]

[Cheapskate]

All I can say is if you have to be doing something at 7 am in Jan or Feb, you'll be doing it the dark if it's year-round DST (and at 8 the sun is barely rising). I have no idea how the school start time laws will factor into this. One reason most districts started high school earliest was so the older kids could walk the younger ones home, but that's a separate discussion, I suppose.

[Joe Schmoe]

Jesus, something else to disagree on.

[Forester]

Easy solution and a compromise to the Daylight savings and Daylight standard crowds; Daylight Neutral time which will be permanently 30 minutes between both.

[tlc]

I called Rep. Kansen Chu's office about six months ago to voice my support of the Bill. Those of us who want the change should call as well.