Pressure Grows For California To Get Rid Of Daylight Savings Time

Since Proposition 7 was passed in 2018 by 7,167,315 Californians, or around 59.75% of the total vote, the issue of getting rid of Daylight Savings Time in California has biannually come up as a big issue. While only Hawaii and Arizona currently don’t follow D.S.T., California became the closest state to become the third member of the group. Prop 7, after all, did California the option now, provided that the state legislature in Sacramento has 2/3rds of their members vote to get rid of it and the Governor approves.

However, efforts since 2018 have failed. While many medical professionals note the health benefits with the switch, bills trying to get rid of it have made it no farther than committee. This year, SB 1413, authored by Senator Roger Niello (R-Roseville) is the latest to propose the switch. Unlike previous bills, Niello is working working with lawmakers in Oregon and Washington to try and coordinate a massive Western states switchover to eliminating the time change.

“Sleep experts believe it is more appropriate to our natural clocks,” said Niello earlier this year. “If my legislation prevails next November, we’ll turn them back again and we’ll never change them again after that. We are also coordinating this with Western states so that if we’re all successful, we won’t be on different times. Arizona already is on permanent standard time, as is Hawaii. Washington, Oregon and Idaho are currently working on legislation, as am I, so there’s a purposeful coordination on this. The essential difference between the two is permanent standard time has more daylight in the morning and permanent daylight saving time has more sunlight in the evening.”

But it goes deep than that, as every Western state is making it contingent on California to go first, with them all, by law, following their lead. Oregon currently has it in the books that they have to switch over if California does. And Washington state, Idaho, and Nevada are all currently considering legislation to do the same with, yet again, making California do it first before they do.

“Basically the entire West Coast is looking at this thing,” explained Gerald Kent, a time zone researcher to the Globe on Friday. “The phrase ‘so goes California, so goes the nation’ is very much true here. None of them want to go in alone, because they’ll be the odd state out. Arizona has it going on, but they are pretty self contained. Nevada is tied closely with California. So is Oregon and the others. If California has it, they’ll all be on the same page.

“And let’s say it all goes through. The entire West Coast would be out with the time difference being pushed to the Rockies. That is a ton of potential leverage California has. This California bill has the potential to influence so much here. There’s always been something of a push to get rid of daylights savings time. 62% of Americans want to get rid of it. The California bill can really spark the change the majority of Americans want.”

SB 1413 is currently in a Senate committee awaiting a vote.