BY DANI TIETZ
dani@sjodaily.com
Groggy workers and students on Monday in Illinois are left wondering if Senate Bill 533, the bill that would end the state’s biannual change of the clock known as daylight savings time, will ever pass and become law.
As of Nov. 19, 2019, the measure had passed in the Illinois Senate, but continues to sit for House approval. Even if the measure is signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, it could not take effect unless approved by the federal government.
Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam and the Virgin Islands are the only states and territories that have chosen to be exempt from daylight saving time, opting instead to follow standard time year-round. Indiana did not switch to the daylight savings time schedule until 2006 when a business-backed effort was passed.
Washington, Florida, Arkansas, Nevada and Tennessee have passed laws to stay on daylight savings time year-round, but need congressional approval before the measure can be enacted.
Similar legislation has been introduced in Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Vermont, according to ABC News.
Maine and Oregon have passed measures only if nearby states, like California, Vermont and New Hampshire pass a similar law.
Daylight savings time was introduced by Benjamin Franklin and has been used in much of North America to make the most out of daylight hours since WWI.
According to AP-News (Oct. 2019), “The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that 4 in 10 Americans 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 what is the status quo in most of the United States, switching back and forth between daylight saving time in the summer and standard time in the winter.”
Democrat Andy Manar (48th District) is the sponsor of the Illinois bill.
Capitol News reports that in November, Manar explained, “This doesn’t seek [a waiver]. This just says one of two things should happen: There should be a national change or, if Congress were to begin to give states exemptions, that obviously would be a different conversation here on this floor.”
