Daylight saving time: Where Arkansas efforts to ‘lock the clocks' stands
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Arkansans will soon lose one hour of sleep as the clocks spring forward on March 9, marking the start of daylight saving time.
However, some Arkansas lawmakers are attempting to 'lock the clocks' and end the twice-a-year time change. Arkansas is one of at least 31 states with bills introduced in their current legislation regarding time change, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
One bill currently in the Arkansas legislature, House Bill 1069, would keep standard time year-round and eliminate daylight saving time.
The bill would allow state employees the option to adjust their work schedule one hour earlier during the portion of the year when other states observe daylight saving time.
HB1069 is sponsored by Rep. Stephen Meeks (R-Greenbrier), and if passed, Arkansas would join Arizona and Hawaii as the only states to not observe daylight saving time.
As of March 6, the bill remains in the House with no updates since Feb. 13.
This bill is not the only attempt by Arkansas lawmakers to end the time change in the Natural State.
Daylight saving time 2025: These states are trying to 'lock the clocks'
State Rep. Sarah Capp (R-Ozark) filed House Bill 1368 in February 2019, which would adopt year-round standard time and eliminate daylight saving time in Arkansas. However, Capp withdrew the bill 23 days after filing it.
Rep. Johnny Rye (R-Trumann) filed House Bill 1017 in 2020, the exact opposite of Capp's bill. Daylight saving time would be adopted year-round and standard time would go away. The bill passed the House in February 2021 by a 71-24 vote but died in a Senate committee meeting in October of that year.
Rye tried again in 2022 with House Bill 1039, which would have also adopted daylight saving time. One month later, Rye withdrew the bill.
Meeks made an attempt in 2023 with House Bill 1568. The bill would have eliminated daylight saving time and observed standard time year-round. The bill was withdrawn three weeks later.
Another attempt made in 2023 was done by Rep. R. Scott Richardson (R-Bentonville) and co-sponsored by Rep. Wayne Long (R-Bradford) with House Bill 1104. It was also withdrawn about two weeks after it was filed.
Whichever Arkansans prefer, the clocks will be turned back an hour on Sunday.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Walz calls special session with lots of work in short timeframe
The Brief Gov. Walz has called for a special session on Monday, three weeks after the regular session ended without a complete budget agreement. Republicans' push to cut undocumented adults out of MN Care will travel in a standalone bill, not in the health bill. But the health bill will include a provision that the Department of Health gets no funding if the standalone bill doesn't become law. ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - It took 18 days, but Minnesota finally has a special session scheduled to finish a budget and avoid a government shutdown. One and only Monday is the big day and, if things go as planned, the only day. Legislative leaders and Gov. Tim Walz hammered out some details on what they said were the hardest bills to hash for instance, the Republican plan to cut MN Care for undocumented adults will be a standalone bill, not in the health the health bill will include language saying the Department of Health gets no funding unless that standalone bill and guarantees like that have them very close to the finish line. Short timeline House leaders Lisa Demuth and Melissa Hortman walked to the podium together Friday, poised to start a sprint to the finish line.A signed agreement shows the 14 bills they plan to pass in 21 hours starting Monday at 10 a.m., including a new bill and another previously on life support. "There will be a standalone data center bill and there will a bonding bill and so since some of those pieces came together pretty late last night," said Speaker Emerita Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park). Data centers will lock in some tax breaks for 35 years in exchange for losing an exemption on electricity. In total, the 2026-27 budget will cut about $5 billion from the last two years and leave almost a $2 billion surplus. Getting there hasn't come easy. "You'll hear that not everybody is happy about every part of it, and that's to be expected," said Speaker of the House Demuth (R-Cold Spring). Winds of change? And the bills could still change. County commissioners blasted the transportation agreement Friday for taking half their regional sales tax proceeds and giving it to the Met Council for Bus Rapid Transit projects. "I truly feel at multiple levels our partnership between the state and the local government is being betrayed and broken," said Scott County Commissioner Jody Brennan. Amendments are still possible, but all four legislative leaders and Gov. Walz would have to agree on any changes from now on."As far as other land mines, there could always be, but I feel confident in the agreements that we have," said Demuth. The special session agreement calls for them to get everything done in one day, which technically means they can go until 7 a.m. on Tuesday. Leaders say they can get it done, but it's possible they'll still need more time, which would bring about a whole new set of problems. Delayed for now Because a government shutdown would be 21 days away, furlough notices are supposed to go out to every non-essential state worker on Monday. But legislative leaders and the governor are working with unions to push that back a day.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Musk floats ‘The American Party' after Trump tiff
Elon Musk floated a new political party on Friday after falling out with President Trump over the big, beautiful bill. He launched a Thursday poll on the social platform X, which he owns, asking about whether or not the country needed a new faction for political nominees. 'The people have spoken. A new political party is needed in America to represent the 80% in the middle! And exactly 80% of people agree. This is fate,' Musk wrote, citing numbers from his survey. He followed up with a potential name for the group, 'The America Party.' In recent days, Musk has railed against Trump for suggesting the United States increase its national debt by $4 trillion as proposed in the bill. The tech giant said it 'undermines' all the work he did at the Department of Government Efficiency, geared towards reducing government spending. However, Trump said the Tesla CEO was mad over slashes to electric vehicle incentives instead of other clauses in the legislation. 'Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here. … He had no problem with it,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. 'All of a sudden he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out that we're going to have to cut the EV mandate, because that's billions and billions of dollars,' he added. Still, Musk, who served as a White House adviser for over 100 days in the Trump administration, backed a call for Trump to be impeached and replaced by his own vice president. The president has publicly questioned Musk's motives for slamming his leadership right after leaving his role in the administration. 'I don't mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress. It's a Record Cut in Expenses, $1.6 Trillion Dollars, and the Biggest Tax Cut ever given. If this Bill doesn't pass, there will be a 68% Tax Increase, and things far worse than that. I didn't create this mess, I'm just here to FIX IT. This puts our Country on a Path of Greatness. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' Musk also credited himself for Republicans' successful trifecta in November capturing the White House, in addition to majorities in the House and Senate. 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,' Musk said in a post on his social platform X. 'Such ingratitude,' he added. Florida Republican Rep. Jimmy Patronis cast doubt on Musk's claim of creating 'The America Party' in Friday comments, suggesting the two will be 'hanging around again' shortly. 'Elon Musk is not gonna create a new political party,' Patronis told NewsNation's Blake Burman during an appearance on 'The Hill.' 'Trump knows that sometimes you're going to have falling out with those that you trust, you like, that you're friends with. It happens with us in DC all the time. So again. Mark my words. About a month from now, these guys will be hanging around again. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Activists protest possible Medicaid cuts outside KS Rep. Derek Schmidt's Topeka office
TOPEKA (KSNT) — Kansans are speaking out against lawmakers who are voting to cut Medicaid. The GOP-led One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed the US House by a razor thin margin. 215 House members voted to pass it, while 214 voted against it. Local Kansas activists are calling out Rep. Derek Schmidt, a Republican who voted to pass the bill. A group of protesters gathered outside of Schmidt's office in Topeka Thursday afternoon and expressed concerns about cuts to Medicaid. 'Today is life or death,' protester Dillon Warren said. 'We voted someone in there that we shouldn't have. He doesn't support us.' The Congressional Budget Office estimates that if the bill passes, at least 7 million people will lose Medicaid coverage. For that reason, many Kansas voters are making their voices heard. Chiefs and Royals stadium bill deadline approaching as Kansas and Missouri fight for the teams 'We need Medicaid for medical equipment,' protester Rick Macias said. 'These chairs are $200,000 if not more. So, it's very important that Medicaid sticks around.' 27 News reached out to Schmidt, who was unavailable for comment. A spokesperson for the congressman provided 27 News with a written statement. 'Congressman Schmidt is a strong supporter of Medicaid for people the program is designed to help: those who are disabled, in nursing homes, pregnant, raising small children, or otherwise in need. Unfortunately, some states have abused the program by providing benefits to illegal aliens, millions of healthy young adults who choose not to work, or people who are not eligible to receive taxpayer-funded benefits from the program. That is the main reason why Medicaid spending has exploded by more than 50 percent since just 2019: an unsustainable rate of growth that puts benefits for Americans who need them most at risk. By addressing this abuse of the program, Congressman Schmidt is protecting both the traditional Medicaid recipients who rely on benefits and the taxpayers who pay the bills.' Spokesman for Rep. Derek Schmidt For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
