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 This year alone, dozens of states saw attempts to end daylight
saving time, the practice of turning back the clock an hour every November and
an hour forward in March. A recent YouGov poll shows a majority of Americans –
including 55% of Midwesterners – wish to end the practice.
The Illinoisans among that group could soon receive that wish after the Illinois
Senate passed Senate Bill 533 on Nov. 12. The proposal, which was introduced by
state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, in January, would make March 2020 the last
time Illinoisans change their clocks.
“Daylight saving time” refers the time of year that falls between March and
November, although many use the term to informally describe the practice of
adjusting the clock both at the beginning and end of that period. During
daylight saving time, the sun rises and sets one hour later than it would during
“standard time,” between December and March.
 Under Manar’s proposal, Illinoisans would no longer sacrifice early sunsets for
morning light during the winter months. The amendment reads, “daylight saving
time shall be the year-round standard time of the entire State.” That would mean
more hours of daylight for Illinoisans.
Millennials are split on whether they approve of adjusting their clocks twice a
year, according to the YouGov poll, but a majority of both Gen Xers and baby
boomers support ending the practice. When it comes to whether those opposed want
their clocks permanently set on standard or daylight saving time, Gen Xers are
divided while baby boomers strongly favor the latter, which Manar’s amendment
would make permanent, bringing longer daylight year-round.
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Originally enacted as an energy-saving measure
during World War I, daylight saving time reached its 100-year
anniversary in 2018. While initially reserved as a local decision,
the practice became law nationwide when U.S. Congress passed the
Uniform Time Act in 1966.
As such, states that approve proposals to end the
clock change must first get approval from the federal government
before they take effect, according to Manar. “The only two ways that
it can change in Illinois, ultimately, even with this bill becoming
law, is either Congress gives us an exemption as a state or Congress
implements a uniform standard presumably different than what we have
nationwide,” Manar said, according to the Illinois Radio Network.
Some research has shown that not only does the practice fail to
achieve its energy-saving goals, but that it may increase the risk
of heart attacks and car accident fatalities. Moreover, many
Americans find the biannual disruption to be simply annoying.
Illinois wouldn’t be the first to end the tradition. Hawaii has long
opted out of daylight saving time. Arizona is the only state to opt
out within the continental United States, but the Navajo Nation –
which controls a large chunk of the state’s northeast corner – does
observe it, making for an awkward arrangement in the Grand Canyon
State. Several U.S. territories also do not observe daylight saving
time.
If lawmakers in the House advance Manar’s proposal, Illinoisans may
soon find themselves relieved of their biannual clock-changing
duties.
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