Daylight saving update

In the March 21 issue of Olney Enterprise, I asked readers to ponder about the “Daylight Saving Disaster.” I recommended we jump on the bandwagon with other states that have appealed to Congress to make a permanent switch from daylight saving time, which could make our lives easier and less confusing.

Our social media mad-hatter Will posted a poll on Facebook. He said 73% of you were for a standard time and 27% of you voted for daylight saving time. It looks like most of us may get our wish. Texas voters may have the opportunity to decide on a permanent time change in November according to a proposal by the Texas House of Representatives that would kill twice-a-year switches.

The bill is titled HJR-117, which reads “Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing a statewide referendum allowing voters to indicate a preference for exempting this state from daylight saving time or observing daylight saving time year-round.” Because the Texas Constitution prohibits a statewide referendum, voters would be required to cast a vote on year-round daylight saving time, which provides an extra hour of sunlight in the evening, or year-round standard time, which provides an extra hour of sunlight in the morning--a point of contention between lawmakers by those who have followed the time change debate throughout the years.

Those of us who want the permanent time change should not get too excited because the time-change issue has been on the table before, but it has never passed. Although HB-150 to abolish daylight saving time came close in 2015. Legislators continue to argue about the public safety issues that surround a permanent time change. Switching back and forth is simply an inconvenience for me.