Latest news with #UniformTimeActof
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
How does daylight saving time work, and who created it? See history behind the time change
Many would agree that the Monday after daylight saving time begins is among the worst days of the year. Even though time "springs forward" one hour early Sunday morning, it can take a few days — or even a week — for our sleep routines to adjust. Who can we blame for this practice? Here's how and why daylight saving time was created. Daylight saving time (DST) claims a variety of other names: daylight savings time, daylight time, summer time (not to be confused with summertime). It refers to the practice of setting clocks forward by one hour during the warmer months of the year and then setting them back one hour in the fall. One way to remember the pattern: "spring forward, fall back." The idea dates back to World War I, although some credit Benjamin Franklin for daylight saving time due to a satirical letter he wrote in 1784 stating: "Every morning, as soon as the sun rises, let all the bells in every church be set ringing: and if that is not sufficient, let cannon be fired in every street to wake the sluggards effectually." To maximize resources for the war, Germany and Austria implemented the first daylight saving time in 1916. The U.S. did the same in 1918. An outdated idea, some argue. The general idea of daylight saving time is to maximize the use of natural daylight, according to the Almanac. This always occurs around the summer months. As the earth moves around the sun and is tilted on its axis, certain parts of the world experience longer days during certain months. For those in the northern hemisphere, like the U.S., these longer days run from March to November, with June to August seeing the longest days. For those in the southern hemisphere, such as Australia, the seasons are reversed: June through August mark winter months and are, therefore, the shortest of the year. Since 2007, daylight saving time has begun on the second Sunday in March and ended on the first Sunday of November, as directed by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Before that, a 1986 law placed the time changes on the first Sunday of April and the last Sunday of October, according to the Astronomical Applications Department. Between 1976 and 1986, clocks moved forward on the last Sunday of April. In 1974 and 1975, daylight saving time began in January and February, respectively. The U.S. first officially recognized daylight saving time in 1918, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Standard Time Act into law. Arizona and Hawaii are the only U.S. states that have never changed their clocks for daylight saving time. The Navajo Nation hasn't either. The U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands also don't observe daylight saving time. Daylight saving time was enacted by the Uniform Time Act of 1966, which also allows states to remain in standard time year-round. However, many states are making efforts to remain in daylight saving time instead — which is currently barred by federal law and would require the approval of Congress. In recent years, states have considered more than 700 pieces of legislation regarding daylight saving time, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. This includes 30 in 2024. A total of 20 states have passed laws or resolutions to move toward daylight saving time year-round, if Congress were ever to allow it, according to the NCSL. These include: Alabama Colorado Delaware Florida Georgia Idaho Kentucky Louisiana Maine Minnesota Mississippi Ohio Oklahoma Oregon South Carolina Tennessee Utah Washington Wyoming The practice of daylight saving time has made its way back to debates among Texas lawmakers. After failing in the 2023 legislative session, Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, has proposed a bill that would allow the state to remain in standard time all year as allowed by the Uniform Time Act of 1966. This differs from previous attempts, which have generally suggested states remain in daylight saving time — an act barred by federal law. "The twice-a-year clock change is disruptive and unnecessary," Zaffirini said in a statement to The Texas Tribune. "Studies have linked these shifts to increased traffic accidents, negative health effects, and decreased productivity." In 2022, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, R-Florida, made such a proposal with the Sunshine Protection Act of 2023. Although the Senate passed it, the bill stalled in the House. "It's time to lock the clock and stop enduring the ridiculous and antiquated practice of switching our clocks back and forth," Rubio said toward the end of last year. The opposite happened in the 2023 Texas legislative session, in which Zaffirini and Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, proposed the state's permanent shift to daylight saving time. House Bill 1422 earned bipartisan support in the House but stalled in the Senate. Metcalf has filed a similar bill this year. "Texas doesn't need to wait for Washington," Metcalf said in a news release. "By passing HB 1393, we'll demonstrate leadership and send a strong message that Texans are ready to move forward." If Zaffirini's Senate Bill 64 is passed and Congress reverses previous rulings against the permanent adoption of daylight saving time, Texas voters could decide which time zone they would prefer to implement year-round. In recent years, Congress has faced the opportunity to stop changing clocks. In 2022, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent, however the U.S. House of Representatives did not pass it and President Joe Biden did not sign it. In December, then-President-elect Donald Trump said he aims to put an end to daylight saving time and make standard time year-round. "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't!" Trump wrote on social media site Truth Social. "Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation." — USA TODAY contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Who invented daylight saving time? History, meaning of time change
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Daylight Saving returns to Michigan – perhaps for the last time
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — It has been a yearly gut punch for Michiganders since 1973, when the state first began observing daylight saving time. But one lawmaker in Michigan wants voters to decide whether the state should stick with the practice. State Sen. Thomas Albert, R-Lowell, has proposed legislation letting voters decide this November whether to keep Michigan on standard time permanently. If passed, Michigan would join Hawaii and Arizona as the only states that don't change their clocks. State lawmakers have introduced similar bills before — although the measures haven't advanced. The implementation of daylight saving time goes back to the World War I era when it was promoted as an electricity-saving step during wartime. The federal Uniform Time Act of 1966 put daylight saving time into effect unless a state specifically opted out – which Michigan voters decided to do in a 1968 vote. A 1972 state election reversed that decision. Sleep experts, however, say there could be real benefits to dropping the time switch. A Corewell Health sleep medicine psychologist says losing the hour of sleep can wreak havoc on the body, increasing the likelihood of heart attack and strokes. The time twist also affects driver concentration and irritability, with a 6% increase in auto accidents, a from the University of Colorado-Boulder found. But doing away with the change could still have consequences. 'If we stayed on daylight saving time, it wouldn't be light until nearly 9 o'clock in the morning in the winter days,' Dr. Kelly Baron, a sleep specialist at the University of Utah Health's Sleep-Wake Center, said on the . 'That would be really difficult for kids waiting for the school bus…everybody would be feeling really tired in the morning.' Adjusting to the time change is usually something that takes a few days, but now that we've sprung forward, there are some safety tips that experts say are important to embrace immediately. Michigan Department of Transportation emphasizes the importance of watching out for pedestrians, early morning runners and bicyclists, even more so when visibility is limited. As you patrol the house looking for any and every clock to reset, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs urges everyone to also check on their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. As of March 1, 25 people have died in 22 fires in Michigan this year, and 15 of those 22 homes did not have working smoke alarms, the Michigan Fire Inspectors Society said on its . Michiganders are also encouraged to talk to their families about 'Get out and Stay out' methods as well as not fighting the fires themselves. To help prevent fatal fires, LARA recommends the following: Check your smoke alarms monthly using the test button. Replace 9-volt smoke alarms with alarms that have a 10-year lithium battery. Install a smoke alarm AND a carbon monoxide alarm in every bedroom or sleeping area and one on every level of the home, including the basement. The city of Grand Rapids offers a , which includes a free fire safety check, smoke alarm upgrades and installation, and one-on-one safety consultations. Free smoke detectors are also available through the Red Cross. They'll install up to three at no cost. You can register or call 1-800-RED CROSS to learn more. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
We live in time: Daylight Savings and the 'Time Lords' of Congress
We live in time. We can both make time. Even double time. And we can also lose time. But it's Congress and Presidents who control time. Politicians have the power to dictate time. Down to the hour and the minute of what time it is. That's why we spring forward this weekend. And when you lose your hour of sleep, you know who to blame. No. Not DOGE. But Congress, of course. Read On The Fox News App This dates back more than two centuries. Trump Calls To 'Eliminate' Daylight Saving Time: 'Very Costly To Our Nation' Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution grants Congress the power to "fix the Standard of Weights and Measures." That's listed right next to Congressional authority over bankruptcies and punishment for counterfeiters. After all, we lose an hour this weekend like a thief in the night. Congress formally established Daylight Saving Time with the Uniform Time Act of 1966. It also established time zones in the 1880s to help the railroads coordinate. Before that, time hinged on whatever locals said it was. That led to 144 distinct local times in the U.S. The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul even went by different clocks, despite only being separated by the Mississippi River. So, lawmakers are kind of like "Time Lords" from Doctor Who. But while they have not waged the Last Great Time War, for some lawmakers, time has expired for the biannual time change. "I haven't had anybody come to me and say, 'This is something that benefits our society.' Why do we have it around anymore? Let's get rid of the antiquated stuff that hold us back from advancement," said Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga. Censure Resolutions: When To Double Down, And When To Turn The Page Florida lawmakers push especially hard to codify the time change in law. After all, Florida is the Sunshine State. Much of the state's economy is based on what you can do outdoors. Sunbathe. Golf. Walk on the beach. Go to amusement parks. "In tourism, it's huge," said Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla. "Instead of getting dark at 5:39, it gets dark at 6:30. It makes a big difference. A lot of times the weather's nice (people) like to be outside eating." Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., pushed time change legislation when he served as governor of the Sunshine State. He's authored a bill which he believes will give all states more sunshine – by effectively freezing time. "It will lock the clock. So stop going back and forth between Daylight Savings Time and Standard Time," said Scott. Former Sen. and now Secretary of State Marco Rubio, R-Fla., authored a bill to mandate Daylight Saving Time year-round several years ago. To everyone's surprise, the Senate approved the bill by unanimous consent in 2022. But the bill then died in the House. Congress approved the Standard Time Act to create the first version of Daylight Saving time in 1918 during World War I. Proponents of the legislation argued that there was "wasted light" at the beginning of the day. Shifting the clocks would reward Americans with "extra" hours of daylight in the evening. Reporter's Noteboook: Sorting It Out "I used to think my state legislature had the foolishiest ideas in the world," said Rep. Robert Thomas, D-Ky., of the measure at the time. "But it never tried to change the sun in its orbit." Farmers and residents of the west opposed the plan. President Woodrow Wilson wanted to keep the time change. But Congress voted to repeal it. Wilson then vetoed the bill. What comes next is one of the most fascinating aspects of time legislation, Congress and the presidency. There have only been 112 successful overrides of a presidential veto in American history. One of them is on a piece of time legislation. Congress overrode Wilson's veto and gave back the hour it picked up during World War I. Presidents have tinkered with changing the time via executive order to maximize daylight during times of crisis. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt shifted the clocks during World War II. President Richard Nixon did the same during the OPEC oil shocks of the 1970s. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Senate Trying To Advance Trump's Agenda It was thought that President Trump may wade into the time waters. He's berated the seasonal time changes for years now, dating back to his first term in office. Mr. Trump posted about the time switch on Truth Social as recently as mid-December. "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation," wrote the president. But President Trump wasn't inclined to turn back time when pressed about it by colleague Peter Doocy on Thursday. "It's a 50/50 issue. And if something is a 50/50 issue, it's hard to get excited about it. I assume people would like to have more light later. But some people want to have more light earlier because they don't want to take their kids to school in the dark," said Mr. Trump. The problem is that most people abhor changing the clocks. But they worry about it getting dark way too early in the winter. Or the sun "rising" at absurd times in the summer. It depends on where you live. House Minority Leader Jeffries Describes Trump's Address To Congress As 'Most Divisive' In American History The country may harbor deep political divisions. But at least one lawmaker believes it's time Americans rally around something. "I'd love for us to not have to switch our clocks if that's something that actually probably can unite Americans right now," said Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J. But at least once senior lawmaker hasn't given the time of day to clock shifting efforts. "You have thoughts on daylight savings?" asked colleague Ryan Schmelz of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Jeffries chuckled. "There's a lot going on in the United States of America. I haven't been able to give a thought to daylight savings," replied Jeffries. Shakespeare wrote that "let every man be master of his time." But that's hard to do when Congress decides the time. Of course, the Bard also declared that "what is past is prologue." And that means that despite the legislative efforts, everyone will probably have to change the clocks again in October when we fall article source: We live in time: Daylight Savings and the 'Time Lords' of Congress
Fox News
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
We live in time: Daylight Savings and the 'Time Lords' of Congress
We live in time. We can both make time. Even double time. And we can also lose time. But it's Congress and Presidents who control time. Politicians have the power to dictate time. Down to the hour and the minute of what time it is. That's why we spring forward this weekend. And when you lose your hour of sleep, you know who to blame. No. Not DOGE. But Congress, of course. This dates back more than two centuries. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution grants Congress the power to "fix the Standard of Weights and Measures." That's listed right next to Congressional authority over bankruptcies and punishment for counterfeiters. After all, we lose an hour this weekend like a thief in the night. Congress formally established Daylight Saving Time with the Uniform Time Act of 1966. It also established time zones in the 1880s to help the railroads coordinate. Before that, time hinged on whatever locals said it was. That led to 144 distinct local times in the U.S. The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul even went by different clocks, despite only being separated by the Mississippi River. So, lawmakers are kind of like "Time Lords" from Doctor Who. But while they have not waged the Last Great Time War, for some lawmakers, time has expired for the biannual time change. "I haven't had anybody come to me and say, 'This is something that benefits our society.' Why do we have it around anymore? Let's get rid of the antiquated stuff that hold us back from advancement," said Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga. Florida lawmakers push especially hard to codify the time change in law. After all, Florida is the Sunshine State. Much of the state's economy is based on what you can do outdoors. Sunbathe. Golf. Walk on the beach. Go to amusement parks. "In tourism, it's huge," said Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla. "Instead of getting dark at 5:39, it gets dark at 6:30. It makes a big difference. A lot of times the weather's nice (people) like to be outside eating." Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., pushed time change legislation when he served as governor of the Sunshine State. He's authored a bill which he believes will give all states more sunshine – by effectively freezing time. "It will lock the clock. So stop going back and forth between Daylight Savings Time and Standard Time," said Scott. Former Sen. and now Secretary of State Marco Rubio, R-Fla., authored a bill to mandate Daylight Saving Time year-round several years ago. To everyone's surprise, the Senate approved the bill by unanimous consent in 2022. But the bill then died in the House. Congress approved the Standard Time Act to create the first version of Daylight Saving time in 1918 during World War I. Proponents of the legislation argued that there was "wasted light" at the beginning of the day. Shifting the clocks would reward Americans with "extra" hours of daylight in the evening. "I used to think my state legislature had the foolishiest ideas in the world," said Rep. Robert Thomas, D-Ky., of the measure at the time. "But it never tried to change the sun in its orbit." Farmers and residents of the west opposed the plan. President Woodrow Wilson wanted to keep the time change. But Congress voted to repeal it. Wilson then vetoed the bill. What comes next is one of the most fascinating aspects of time legislation, Congress and the presidency. There have only been 112 successful overrides of a presidential veto in American history. One of them is on a piece of time legislation. Congress overrode Wilson's veto and gave back the hour it picked up during World War I. Presidents have tinkered with changing the time via executive order to maximize daylight during times of crisis. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt shifted the clocks during World War II. President Richard Nixon did the same during the OPEC oil shocks of the 1970s. It was thought that President Trump may wade into the time waters. He's berated the seasonal time changes for years now, dating back to his first term in office. Mr. Trump posted about the time switch on Truth Social as recently as mid-December. "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation," wrote the president. But President Trump wasn't inclined to turn back time when pressed about it by colleague Peter Doocy on Thursday. "It's a 50/50 issue. And if something is a 50/50 issue, it's hard to get excited about it. I assume people would like to have more light later. But some people want to have more light earlier because they don't want to take their kids to school in the dark," said Mr. Trump. The problem is that most people abhor changing the clocks. But they worry about it getting dark way too early in the winter. Or the sun "rising" at absurd times in the summer. It depends on where you live. The country may harbor deep political divisions. But at least one lawmaker believes it's time Americans rally around something. "I'd love for us to not have to switch our clocks if that's something that actually probably can unite Americans right now," said Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J. But at least once senior lawmaker hasn't given the time of day to clock shifting efforts. "You have thoughts on daylight savings?" asked colleague Ryan Schmelz of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Jeffries chuckled. "There's a lot going on in the United States of America. I haven't been able to give a thought to daylight savings," replied Jeffries. Shakespeare wrote that "let every man be master of his time." But that's hard to do when Congress decides the time. Of course, the Bard also declared that "what is past is prologue." And that means that despite the legislative efforts, everyone will probably have to change the clocks again in October when we fall back.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Will Trump change daylight saving time? He says it's a ‘50/50' issue
Donald Trump is still pondering what to do — if anything — about daylight saving time. Most of the US is about to "spring forward" on March 9, when clocks will be set one hour ahead to adjust from the extra hour of sunlight heading into the warmer months of the year. That is, unless Trump changes things. The president has spoken previously about his desire to make the springtime clock permanent, and eliminate the practice of setting clocks back an hour in the winter time. The practice as we know it started in the early 1900s in Canada and central Europe and is meant to shift people's schedules so they experience more daylight in a typical day. According to Trump, getting rid of the clock adjustments is a "50/50 issue," so he's not sure what he's going to do about the practice, Axios reports. "It's a 50/50 issue, and if something is a 50/50 issue, it's hard to get excited about it,' Trump said on Thursday. 'I assume people would like to have more light later, but some people want to have more light earlier because they don't want to take their kids to school in the dark.' Trump said the fact that the nation was split on the issue was holding him back from making any decisions. "And it's something I can do, but a lot of people like it one way, a lot of people like it the other way, it's very even and usually I find when that's the case what else do we have to do?" Trump said. If Trump makes any change one way or the other, it will affect most Americans. Only two states keep consistent clocks all year long — Arizona and Hawaii — but depending on what Trump decides, they may also have to adjust their time keeping. Daylight saving time was adopted for the US under the Uniform Time Act of 1966, and Congress would have the ultimate say in whether or not the clocks change. Over the past few years, then-Senator Marco Rubio has attempted to push for a permanent daylight saving time across the nation under the Sunshine Protection Act, but the bills ultimately die before they can reach a vote. Earlier this year, Senator Rick Scott of Florida introduced the bill once again. "I'm excited to have President Trump back in the White House and fully on board to LOCK THE CLOCK so we can get this good bill passed and make this common-sense change that will simplify and benefit the lives of American families," Scott wrote in January. It seems like that Trump backing is a little less sure now. Trump wasn't always so middle of the road on daylight saving time; back in December he made it clear that the Republicans, under his leadership, would try to eliminate it completely. "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't!," Trump said at the time. He further called it "inconvenient" and "very costly to our nation."
