Texas legislators want Texans to vote on ending daylight savings

Texas - Conversations continue to grow about whether the U.S. should stop switching the clocks for Daylight Savings Time (DST) or continue with the practice and two Texas legislators want Texans to vote on eliminating the practice for the state.

Texas Senator Paul Bettencourt filed Senate Bill (SB) 2329 and Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 86 to let Texans vote on eliminating a "spring forward."

The text in SB 2329 states, "This state shall observe daylight saving time year-round. This subsection applies to both the portion of this state using central standard time as the official standard time and the portion of this state using mountain standard time as the official standard time."

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If the bill passes, Texas voters would decide whether to end DST in the General Election on Nov. 7, 2023.

"When you think of hot-button public policy issues, what usually comes to mind are things such as property tax relief and school finance and pension reform. However, the issue of Daylight Saving Time has roused passions on both sides of the debate for over 100 years," said Senator Bettencourt. "Texans like me want to be on one time, and the Federal government doesn’t give us the option to vote to remain on standard time. SJR 86 gives Texans the opportunity to vote on the issue and settle the debate once and for all in the Lone Star State," he added.

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The bills will reportedly apply to the entire state of Texas and if passed, Texas would join Arizona and Hawaii, the only two states which do not currently observe Daylight Saving Time, and the change would take effect in 2024.

The practice of DST started in the U.S. during World War I but was repealed in 1919. It restarted during World War II, but was repealed again three weeks after the end of the war.

"Texans are tired of having to change their clocks and lose an hour’s sleep for no reason," said Texas House Representative Mike Schofield, the House author of the bill. "People would like to get home from work and play with their kids without it being dark half the time. There’s no reason not to fix this."

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Many justify DST as a way to reduce energy consumption however, senator Bettencourt says studies on the issue have said otherwise. In the release, it mentions how a 2008 Department of Energy study found that an extended DST "saved about 0.5 percent (1.3 billion kilowatt hours) in total electricity per day" over a four-week extension.

The release also refers to a University of California Santa Barbara study which found when Indiana moved to a statewide system in 2006 it caused a one percent increase in residential electricity use.

At the Federal level, Florida U.S. Senator Marco Rubio reintroduced legislation to make DST permanent and end the twice-a-year adjustment of clocks.

"Instead of fall back and spring forward, it would be a fall vote to stop a spring forward," said Senator Bettencourt