(The Center Square) – The Ohio House of Representatives isn’t giving up on making daylight saving time permanent.
After passing a resolution 69-20 that urges Congress to stop the time change twice yearly, the House sent it to the Senate for consideration.
Under the Uniform Time Act of 1966, states can change to standard time but not daylight saving time.
“It’s time to make daylight saving time permanent,” said Rep. Rodney Creech, R-West Alexandria. “The committee process revealed a number of benefits to making this change, such as making Ohio roads safer and supporting mental health.”
As previously reported by The Center Square, Columbus-based Scioto Analysis developed a cost-benefit analysis of daylight saving time that says the state could get an economic benefit of between $39 million and $41 million annually by switching to permanent daylight saving time.
The report showed the most significant impact would come on crime. The extra hour of daylight in the evenings, according to the report, leads to fewer crimes each year.
It noted other benefits of switching to permanent daylight saving time are related to changing the clock twice a year, which the report says research has can cause additional car crashes, health problems, and lower productivity.
“The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that since 2015, state legislators have introduced 450 bills and resolutions in nearly every state to make either standard time or daylight saving time permanent,” said Rep. Bob Peterson, R-Sabina. “Florida led this movement with their Sunshine Protection Act in 2018, but this legislation will ensure that Ohio is among the leaders advocating for this change.”
Daylight saving time exists throughout the country with few exceptions. Arizona and Hawaii are permanently on standard time.
State senators in Washington and Oregon plan to introduce legislation in their states next year to keep those states on standard time year-round.
