WA Senator Patty Murray Renews Push For Permanent Daylight Saving Time

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

WASHINGTON — With just a couple of days left until Daylight Saving Time ends, and Washingtonians set their clocks back for the season, Sen. Patty Murray took to the Senate floor to call on her colleagues to pass a bipartisan effort to do away with the biannual time change.

"To put it simply, Americans want more sunshine and less depression," Murray said. "For goodness' sake, voters across the country have shown they support this, research shows this is good for public health, and studies demonstrate real economic benefits."

In 2019, Washington state legislators overwhelmingly approved legislation to "ditch the switch" and remain on Daylight Saving Time year-round. Nearly 20 other states have passed similar legislation, but states cannot enact the change without federal approval.

Earlier this year, Murray co-sponsored the Sunshine Protection Act with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), but Congress has yet to move forward on the matter. The senator renewed her call for action Thursday, citing several potential benefits of ending the seasonal time change. She also called on President Joe Biden to grant states like Washington a waiver to enact the legislation they have already approved.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/wa-senator-renews-push-for-permanent-daylight-saving-time/ar-AAQkHwd

[leftstreet]

1. A refreshing break from paid leave, Rx costs, voting rights, etc

[jimfields33]

2. So true. Lol

[Journeyman]

3. Settle on the half hour and be done with it . . .

[gblady]

19. I totally agree

Seems a great compromise.

[Quixote1818]

21. That's actually a pretty good compromise. Or stick with DST and have schools etc.

start an hour later.

[pazzyanne]

26. I'd support schools starting later if we go to year around DST!

I taught in an elementary school when they tried keeping year round DST. We had traffic jams due to parents driving their kids to school and several incidents of kids being hit due to school starting during the darkness. Scary time!

[Raine]

62. THAT is what I've always thought would be a perfect

compromise. 👍

[maxsolomon]

4. Murray is my Senator, but man, do I disagree.

Sometimes I think I'm the only one left who understands WHY there is DST and Not-DST. It's particularly pronounced at 47 degrees latitude where I live.

We have DST because it puts the daylight when we can use it best. December has just over 8 hours of daylight per day. June has around 16.

Non-DST means the sun comes up BEFORE 8 am in December. Kids go to school before 8, and construction crews (and farmers I guess) start work at 7 am, when there's at least twilight. On Permanent DST, the sun would come up around 9 am.

During DST, the sun still comes up before 6 am in June. I'd rather it went down after 9 pm than coming up at fucking 5 am. No one needs daylight before 6 am.

[we can do it]

6. Permanent Daylight Saving Time

Reading for comprehension please.

[maxsolomon]

7. ? what are you telling me?

I'm not writing for your comprehension, or that I'm not comprehending what Permanent DST means?

[nilram]

9. Perfectly comprehensible.

[frazzled]

10. The past few weeks, the sun already isn't coming up until after 7:30

Since I have been getting up at 5:30 am or so, I find it pretty depressing to be drinking my coffee in the pitch dark for two hours. I’m ready for the change to CST.

7 am is already rush hour where I live, not to mention the safety needs of schoolchildren. While I don’t like it getting dark so early, I don’t like the morning dark either. At least the dark that descends later in the day prepares you for night and winding down. My biorhythms are telling me I need the time change ... and I know I’ll feel it again in the spring.

This should be a regional issue anyway, since the needs for the East, the Midwest, and the West are different. And of course I understand that individual needs are different too. The nation is divided on this issue too.

[maxsolomon]

64. More of a North-South division.

Day lengths don't swing as much in CA, AZ, FL, so I can see them thinking its a pointless hassle.

It's not for me. I also don't want the daylight starting at 9 am.

[Quixote1818]

20. Just have schools etc. start an hour later for Non- DST. Many already do start at 9am. nt

[Owl]

32. Exactly. I also disagree with Murray.

[we can do it]

5. Sign me up.

[dutch777]

8. Set it one way or the other, permanently. I'd prefer sun later but I am not a farmer or

construction person starting at 7. But stop the switch s**t!

[rurallib]

11. move it to the 1/2 hour in between and leave it

[jcgoldie]

12. yes please!

Get this done. People more than ever need to be outside and appreciate the planet and our impact upon it. That doesn't happen for working Americans at 8 AM.. but it can at 4 or 5 in the afternoon.

[Xolodno]

13. Set it to one and be done.

Why do we keep this archaic tradition alive? I'm on the west coast and have to get my ass up early to talk to people on the east coast who are popping in in the late A.M. Likewise, sometimes they have to stay late to accommodate us on the west coast. The time switch just fucks with us all that much more.

And sorry, if you are North Dakota or something, I don't think the rest of us should acquiesce for you when the rest of us have to make adjustments no matter which "time" is selected. Want more daylight? Adjust your alarm.

[Disaffected]

14. "... research shows this is good for public health..."

Not the research I've heard and read about. DST conflicts with our circadian rhythm (Circadian Rhythm Disorder).

Symptoms of circadian rhythm sleep disorders include:

Insomnia (difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep).
Excessive daytime sleepiness.
Difficulty waking up in the morning.
Sleep loss.
Depression.
Stress in relationships.
Poor work/school performance.
Inability to meet social obligations.

(because we are out of sync with normal light/dark patterns).

And, the twice annual switching between DST and standard time exacerbates the problem. The best solution is to stay on standard time continually. The problem BTW gets worse the farther north you live. We in Alberta recently voted on a referendum on whether to switch to permanent DST and it was narrowly defeated. I also understand the Russians tried permanent DST for about three years but gave up on it as they determined the benefits did not outweigh the downside.

Personally, I would vote for permanent standard time as it gives an extra hour for the house to cool down on hot summer days b/f bedtime. Getting up in pitch dark in winter also does not appeal much to me...

[drmeow]

17. I'm with you nt

[roamer65]

15. Eastern New York and New England should be in the Atlantic Time Zone.

That would help a LOT out there.

That would give them the permanent one hour forward.

[electric_blue68]

57. ? Is that like where Puerto Rico is. I think I was surprised when I visited.

[Celerity]

16. We so need perm DST here in Sweden. Even here un Stockholm, far from the northern parts, the sun

will soon start going down around 2 30 PM. Only around 6 hours or so of daylight.

[former9thward]

18. Arizona is on permanent standard time.

Its great. No changes.

[marybourg]

52. Except for the problems and irritation when various apps

change our time and cause alarms and reminders to begin an hour early.

[Liberal In Texas]

22. I'm in favor of don't change the time. Pick a time and stay with it.

I would favor standard time, but if it has to be DST so be it.

The spring change (spring forward) is really disrupting. The older I get the longer it takes to adjust to it.

[Raftergirl]

23. I would love to be on Dayloght Saving time all year.

Sunday is the worst day of the year!!!

[samnsara]

24. i'm not a fan.. I enjoy the early darkness of winter time

[Skittles]

25. if a difference of one hour makes you depressed

you have more problems than what fucking time it is

[TurboDem]

27. I wish I could rec your post a thousand times!

You hit the nail smack on the head!

[Skittles]

39. I get so tired of the twice yearly whining from people

soooo thrown off because of ONE HOUR - it is ridiculous

[leftstreet]

29. +1

[pazzyanne]

30. There are many people who have trouble with seasonal time changes.

That does not mean that they have any more problems than others.

"Your circadian rhythm is your internal clock, which provides the timing of physical, mental, and behavioral changes and processes that occur in a predictable 24-hour cycle. It's strongly influenced by environmental cues like changes in light . This helpful clock determines our sleep-wake cycles, the release of our hormones, and eating habits ."

Google Circadian Rhythms to learn more. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circadian_rhythm

[Skittles]

38. there are thousands of night shift workers

I routinely get three hours sleep due to something like, for example, weed eaters......if one hour threw most people off we'd really be in trouble.

[pazzyanne]

40. Thanks for reading the circadian information? nt

[Skittles]

41. ONE HOUR

ridiculous

[muriel_volestrangler]

53. That's the thing - "strongly influenced by environmental cues like changes in light"

That's why a change in the time we do things through the year, as the time of daylight changes (particularly when the sun comes up) is a good idea.

[Ford_Prefect]

34. The cycle of light related depression is not personality based. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

is in fact related to sensory responses brought on by Daylight, the lack thereof, or changes in intensity. These are cues wired into us by our human DNA. Although not every person is affected the same way or to the same degree, everyone is actually sensitive to the color and presence of natural daylight. It is a critical feature of Humans as well as other creatures.

I used to work with a senior electrical engineer who had an artificial daylight source in her office in order to be able to work indoors.

[pazzyanne]

42. + 1 nt

[Skittles]

43. I can understand if you're deprived for days of sunlight

but if one freaking hour badly affects you, you have more problems than "time change"

over and OUT

[Ford_Prefect]

48. You might want to consider a bit of research on your own...

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651

[Skittles]

49. I'm saying if it affects you badly

something else is going on

over and OUT

[Ford_Prefect]

51. Are you suggesting that the science underlying the Mayo Clinic's information on SAD is not accurate?

[electric_blue68]

55. Both of you are ignorant on this matter. Read the darn studies!

[dflprincess]

28. Changing the time has never really bothered me

but if we decide to stick with one or the other I vote for Daylight Savings Time. I would really miss the extra hour of light in the summer at the end of the day.

And, if I ever go back to the office, it would be nice to have some daylight when I leave work. With Standard time I go in in the dark and home in the dark.

[Silver Swan]

31. No, no, a thousand times no

If anyone remembers that song... I hate day light savings time. I hate that they have expanded it to eight months. I love the early dark. Can't wait for next week.

[Polybius]

37. You hate it in the Summer too?

June and July's 8:45 sundown's are magical.

[electric_blue68]

54. Yes! Yes they are. 🥰

[Celerity]

47. You would not like the sun starting to fade out before 2 pm

Cannot wait until perm DST happens here in Sweden.

[electric_blue68]

58. I understand! I have a long time acquaintance in Finland...

He's about a third a ways up in his country.

We talk about it off and on for 10+ years bc I'm fascinated/horrified (😄 ) by it.

I once said to him about the Fins love of Metal Music
was it helped keep them awake in the dark, and less scared (being in so much darkness). He said "you're really close!" and Lol'd. 😁

A gazillion years back one of my cousins in the DC area who's parent's we're well off, connected to USA and international health care sent him to Sweden for (successful) cancer treatment.
My uncle mentioned at some point the sun came up at 10AM and set at 2PM.
I was like "WHAAAaaaaaaaa??!!!!!! 😮😮😮😭

Good luck for you all! 👍

[Celerity]

60. Stockholm is only a wee bit south of Anchorage, Alaska. We just are far warmer

due to the North Atlantic gulf stream.

Europe overall is much farther north than so many Americans realise.

The darkness doesn't bother me that much until that fall back to standard CET we did last weekend, a week before the US does falls back.

I have no problem waking up in darkness, in fact I rather like it, but I have much more of an issue with such a short afternoon.

[electric_blue68]

61. I thought you might have been talking about th sun set...

It took me a bunch of googling various N latitudes but I finally found a good map of the 40th N lattitude which went all across North America into Europe etc.
NYC is just a touch north of exactly 40° where I am. 👍

And, yeah, I see what you mean about much of Europe being more northern than we USA'rs think!

[bello]

33. Permanent GMT, world wide

The whole concept of time zones, daylight savings, etc is out of date. It came into existence with the advent of the railroads.

In today’s global economy, with zoom meetings, tele-conferences and the like occurring with participants from anywhere in the world, we need to be able to talk the same language (so to speak) with time. And that language is Greenwich Mean Time, GMT, Zulu time. Aviation runs on GMT for everything but the passengers. Let’s put them on GMT, too.

TPTB can start work, school, whatever at any numerical value that they want, you don’t need to change a clock to do that. I had a friend that worked at an organization that stared work at 7:00 am in the middle of summer and 8:00 am the rest of the year. It worked just fine.

-B

[Polybius]

36. If the Earth was flat, we'd only need one Time Zone

Wonder how flat-Earthers can explain that.

[Polybius]

35. Yeah no thanks

It's been like this all of my life. I like the change.

[Skittles]

44. I just wish we didn't have to hear the whining about it twice a year

it's like, well, clockwork

[Polybius]

45. Every Spring I post "Happy Daylight Savings Time"

Riles them up.

https://upload.democraticunderground.com/100213056197

[Skittles]

46. it is proof how delicate human beings are

I mean, seriously, WTF - get OVER it already

[electric_blue68]

59. And I'M Tired of Your Arrogance, and Ignorance!

[canetoad]

50. I'm really sick of early risers

Being treated as if there is something unnatural about 'getting up with the sun'.

[electric_blue68]

56. DSL! DSL! DSL! DSL! 🤔 I would consider the 1/2 hr compromise.

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

63. AZ doesn't do Daylight Savings, and a large majority

of folks in AZ don't want it.

Back in 2015, a Republican State House Rep. proposed a bill for AZ to go on DST and the citizenry totally flipped out, so the bill was hastily withdrawn.

[maxsolomon]

65. Phoenix is at 33 degrees N

the switch on and off of DST has a much larger, more positive impact on latitudes N of 40.