Washington, D.C. — Daylight Saving Time is scheduled to end this year at 2:00 am on Sunday, November 1st. But a bill in the U.S. Senate would change all that.
SB 4582 is a proposed law that would keep Daylight Saving Time in effect until at least late next year, and possibly forever. While most Senators reportedly don’t have this issue on their radar at this point, if passed, the bill would make the already late sunrise times even later during the cold winter months.
The bill has some support from folks in states whose economies depend heavily on the hospitality industries, since it would allow more time in the evening for dining and entertainment in the daylight.
But in regions of the country, such as here in northwest Iowa, where the economy is largely dependent upon agriculture, the measure is opposed by a lot of folks. For our farmers, who are normally up and working with the sun, it would require their first hour of work to be in the dark, or would postpone their workday an hour each day. Children would be forced to walk or ride their bicycles to school in the dark, adding to the danger for kids and motorists alike. And for those who listen to AM radio stations, like KIWA-AM, that are required to broadcast on extremely low power between sunset and sunrise, you might be forced to miss out on an hour of morning programming that you’ve come to depend on.
This bill is not going through the normal committee process in the Senate, but is being considered for inclusion with a handful of other bills for Unanimous Consent.
So get ready to turn your clocks back an hour before bed on Saturday night, October 31st. Or not, depending on what happens with this proposed piece of legislation.
We just thought you should know.
