Many of us are struggs to func this week because of the sleep we lost “springing forward” one hour. This biannual transition, known as daylight saving time, is enforced by the federal government and will be reversed in November when we “fall back” one hour.
But it may not always be this way. The notion of permanent daylight saving time is gaining political momentum. 40+ states (including NC) are considering ending the change. In fact, there’s an active bill in the NC legislature that would adopt daylight saving time year-round. While the bill was passed 98-17 by the NC House in April 2021, it still requires clearance from the NC Senate.
The federal government may address the issue first, though. Just yesterday, the US Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight savings permanent. It heads to the House of Representatives next.
More food for thought: an analysis of Google Trends found that searches for “which states are getting rid of daylight savings” increased 250% from 2021 to 2022, and polls indicate two-thirds of Americans want to stop shifting their clocks twice a year.
We asked y’all, and more than 130 of you weighed in. We tallied your responses and found that 80% of you are in favor of ending the time change, and 20% of you prefer it.
“Gone for good!!! This time of year has me feeling all kinds of out of whack. It throws off my sleep schedule and just seems unnatural.” — Noora C.
“There are MANY health benefits to DLS, so I say keep it.” — Cheryl F.
“Get rid of it! Just look at the statistics about how many accidents happen due to the change. Time to give it up!” — Anne G.
“I love daylight savings time!! It’s so nice to have daylight in the evening for more opportunities to enjoy the weather after work.” — Eileen R.
“Hate it! Lived in Arizona for four years where they don’t honor the time change, and it was so fabulous. Still got our yards plowed and babies fed just fine.” — @wrayab
