Florida seeks all-year daylight saving time

PLANTATION, Fla. — Most of the nation springs forward on Sunday, moving clocks up one hour to observe daylight saving time. If Sunshine State legislators get their way, Floridians won’t be falling back.

By overwhelming, bipartisan majorities, the normally fractious Senate and House agreed this week to make Florida the first in the nation to adopt year-round daylight saving time statewide. It would mean later sunrises and sunsets from November to March, peak tourist season for many beach cities.

For almost half the school year, it would also mean thousands more children would go to school in the dark. The Florida PTA said Friday the change would endanger students and is asking Gov. Rick Scott to veto the bill.

If Scott does sign it, the change still would need congressional approval, which means it likely wouldn’t happen until 2019 at the earliest, if ever.

Sen. Greg Steube, the lead sponsor, said Floridians are tired of going “back and forth” and changing their clocks, internal and external, twice a year. The Sarasota Republican also said the “Sunshine Protection Act ” could boost the economy as winter sunsets would be about 6:30 p.m., not 5:30. That might create more post-work shopping and tourists might stay later at theme parks and beaches.

“It just seems silly to me that as a country we are bumping back and forth because the reason is completely irrelevant,” said Steube, who recently announced he will run for Congress. He promised to sponsor federal legislation carrying out the change if elected. Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio said Friday he would introduce a bill next week allowing the change.

But adopting yearround daylight time would mean some downsides for Florida too.

From early November until early March, when it’s noon in Eastern cities such as Atlanta, Washington, New York, Boston and Moose River, Maine, it would be 1 p.m. in most of Florida, possibly causing confusion. The Panhandle is on Central time, so during the winter Pensacola and its neighbors would be on Eastern time.

Also, from December into February, the sun wouldn’t rise until about 8 a.m. in Miami, 8:20 in Tampa and Jacksonville and 8:30 in Tallahassee and only a bit earlier in late November and early March. And if that forces schools to start later, more parents would have to rush to reach work on time.

Andrea Messina, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association, said the group hasn’t taken an official position but is concerned about the bill’s effect on students and expects it would lead to districts reconsidering start times.

Insurance broker Jack Auran called the proposed change “sweet.”

“I play basketball after work. More light means we can play, and I don’t have to leave the office early,” Auran said.

Barry University student Kameron Milan said he lived in Arizona, which has year-round standard time, which he liked, but “it doesn’t make that much of a difference, it’s so minor.”