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ALPERN AT LARGE - Last year there was an effort by the House and Senate to fast-track making Daylight Savings Time permanent—Republicans from Florida (Senator Rick Scott and former Senator Marco Rubio before him, and Rep. Vern Buchanan) all championed this initiative (the Sunshine Protection Act).
President Trump supported it, but Senator Tom Cotton, another Republican but from Arkansas, thwarted it because of concerns of darkness of winter mornings in some states, and by referencing the (potential) health benefits of permanent standard time. Cotton claims to dislike the time changes but stood his ground.
In all fairness, if more Americans went to bed when it got dark, they might be healthier, better rested, and enjoy cardiovascular and nervous system changes most of us need…but that “early to bed, early to rise” is performed by precious few of us—and indoor lighting has really screwed up our brains and circadian rhythms..
The number of those who want Daylight Savings Time permanent probably number in the majority (60-75% or more), but those who object to that are adamant. Schools could always change their opening times (although parents who work might object) if dark mornings were a problem, but the debate’s never ended.
Enter the Daylight Act of 2026, which would make a half-Daylight Savings Time permanent.
This Daylight Act of 2026 involves our clock jumping forward a half-hour, instead of a whole hour, and lock there.
Another bill would give states the option to observe year-round Daylight Savings Time, or opt for year-round Standard Time.
All of these bills, or variants thereof, remain in committee, and the same can be said of similar bills in various states.
However, these states -- Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming – are ready to observe Daylight Saving Time year-round.
So now Congress needs to act…but as we know the two political parties aren’t agreeing on much, nowadays, are they?
Still, one can hope.
Because it’s high time these time changes ended
(Kenneth S. Alpern, M.D, is a dermatologist who has served in clinics in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties, and is a proud husband and father. He was active for 20 years on the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC) as a Board Member focused on Planning and Transportation, and helped lead the grassroots efforts of the Expo Line as well as connecting LAX to MetroRail. His latest project is his fictional online book entitled The Unforgotten Tales of Middle-Earth, and can be reached at[email protected]. The views expressed in this article are solely those of Dr. Alpern.)
