Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday

- In the wee hours of Sunday morning, March 12, the official time in much of the world will change. The time on electronic devices that are programmed to automatically use Daylight Saving Time will “spring forward” an hour.

For those who still have clocks and watches that don’t automatically change, it’s recommended that you set the time forward before you retire to bed Saturday evening.

A question that’s being asked this year is, will we have to “fall back” in time in November, when Daylight Saving Time (DST) is set to end?

In March, 2022, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act that would leave DST in place year round. The House did not vote on the act. thehill. com reported that lawmakers in the House argued that other matters were more important or more research was needed. Some expressed concern about the impact it would have on areas that rely on tourism or those with large farming communities.

This year on March 2, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida reintroduced the bill.

According to thehill.com, senators from the following states support the bill - Alabama, California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon and Tennessee.

The US tried to observe DST permanently in the early 1970s as a way to combat the national energy crisis. It quickly fell out of favor as parents worried about the safety of their children who were then going to school before the sun came up.

There is also some support for getting rid of DST and remaining on Standard Time. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine stated, permanent standard time “is the best option for our health and well-being.”

States could consider what Alaska and Hawaii do. Rather than change time, they change time zones so time remains constant.

Whether or not we will change time in November will remain to be seen. However, “spring ahead” this weekend!