Permanent daylight saving time: Was Senate right to pass bill?

Andrew (Yes)

The origin of daylight saving time (DST) lies with the misguided idea that we will have more sunlight by moving the clocks one hour, twice a year. While this does produce an extra hour of evening sunlight in the spring, the same move makes the sunset occur an hour earlier in the fall. Similarly, just as the early spring mornings are beginning to become lighter, we change the clocks back and plunge early morning commuters into darkness again. Changing the clocks is simply robbing Peter to pay Paul, and Congress is right to end this needless change.

The common myth that farmers called for daylight saving time is false, and many farmers have actually expressed opposition to the practice because it disrupts their animals' natural rhythms. Similarly, people's sleep schedules are disrupted, leading to a potential list of problems ranging from crankiness to heart problems and accidents due to drowsiness. With all of these potential downsides and no real advantages, it makes sense for Congress to stop this semi annual ritual.

Finally, changing the clocks back every year is often very annoying. People frequently joke that the clocks in their cars will be wrong for a year because they're so notoriously difficult to change. There is always uncertainty for several days as we try to navigate which devices have changed automatically and which are still showing the wrong time. Luckily, these annoyances are so common that even our divided Congress can come together to keep us on DST permanently.

Curtice (No)

The Senate recently passed a bill that would make daylight saving time (DST) permanent throughout the entire year. This measure was not necessary and was wasteful of government time and resources. The US first adopted DST in 1918 to conserve fuel during the war, but it was unpopular and rightfully stopped following the end of World War I. A second trial by FDR during World War II was just as unsuccessful and was ended shortly thereafter. 

Again, the original idea behind DST was to conserve energy for the war effort. Today, however, our military runs continuously, day and night. Therefore, any change to DST is irrelevant to the military. Besides, savings in heating costs is generally more than offset by increased air conditioning costs.

Two states today, Arizona and Hawaii, do not adopt this “spring forward” time, where clocks move up an hour. Arizona, for example, often has 100 degree nights during the summer months; the state doesn't need yet another hour of “nighttime sun” in the summer. Both states manage fine without DST. 

Implementing DST permanently (so that clocks do not “fall back” an hour at the start of winter) would mean kids would routinely go to school each morning in the dark as the sun would not rise in the Midwest, for example, until after 8 AM in winter months. With many schools being closed and kids forced into remote learning for much of the last two years during COVID, school children have had enough challenges with learning. Starting the school day in the dark only makes learning more difficult, as many report feeling more groggy after implementing “spring forward” or DST. If the main purpose is to eliminate changing clocks twice a year, we should eliminate DST permanently.