(The Center Square) – This past weekend could be the last time people in Wisconsin could have to spring forward.
A pair of Republicans at the statehouse in Madison are proposing an end to Daylight Saving Time.
Rep. Nate Gustafson, R-Fox Crossing, and state Sen. Rachel Cabral-Guevara, R-Appleton, this week introduced legislation that “eliminates” the idea.
“Research shows the disruption caused by Daylight Saving Times transition can lead to increased risks, workplace injuries, and traffic accidents, as well as negative impacts on mental health and productivity,” the two wrote in their sponsorship memo.
Currently only Arizona and Hawaii don’t have Daylight Saving Time, but more than a dozen other states are considering it.
The National Conference of State Legislatures last year said 20 states have passed laws legislation or resolutions that would end their Daylight Saving Time if Congress ever allows it.
Gustafson and Cabral-Guevara told Wisconsin lawmakers Congress generally doesn’t allow for time change changes, but Wisconsin would be a good candidate.
“Federal law generally preempts states from deviating from standard time or eliminating daylight saving time, but federal law allows a state that lies entirely in one time zone, such as Wisconsin, to observe standard time instead of Daylight Savings Time as long as the observation is throughout the entire state,” the two added as a note from the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Gustafson and Cabral-Guevara said changing the clock is more than just losing an hour of sleep every spring.
“Anyone with children knows the weeks of the changes are some of the worst weeks of the year for kids,” they said in their note. “By ending twice a year time changes, this bill aims to promote public health, safety, and economic stability.”
One of the unique changes that would have to follow with Gustafson and Cabral-Guevara’s plan would be a partial rewrite of Wisconsin’s liquor license law. Currently that law has a closing time exemption for Daylight Saving Time. That exemption would be erased if the legislation ever becomes law.
