The End Of Standard Time? The Senate Just Unanimously Voted To Keep DST Permanent

The Senate just unanimously voted to keep daylight savings time (DST) permanent.

Marco Rubio (R-FL) sponsored the bill, known as the Sunshine Protection Act, along with Lauren Boebert (R-CO). If the bill passes in the House and is signed by Biden it will become law, making standard time a thing of the past.

Daylight savings time was originally a mechanism designed to maximize the amount of daylight which farmers could utilize during the planting and harvesting months.

Due to changes in technology, factory farming techniques, and the switch from an agrarian economy to a service-based highly technological society, daylight savings time has become obsolete.

If the bill does become law the changes will take effect November of 2023, and keep daylight savings time as the permanent option—maximizing daylight hours all year long.

The reaction to the bill seemed to be overwhelmingly positive:

Today we passed out of the Senate my bill to make Daylight Savings Time permanent

Now it’s up to the House to help us #LockTheClock

pic.twitter.com/NneP6loZ5Q

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 15, 2022

Holy shit. The Senate just unanimously passed a bill making daylight savings time permanent.

If this clears the House, no more changing the clocks twice a year. https://t.co/d85L72mzf8

— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) March 15, 2022

Reuters confirmed:

The Senate approved the measure, called the Sunshine Protection Act, unanimously by voice vote. The House of Representatives, which has held a committee hearing on the matter, must still pass the bill before it can go to President Joe Biden to sign.

The U.S. Senate just unanimously passed a bill making daylight savings time permanent, passing the bill to the House.
 
Alaskans are ready to lock the clock, and stop changing their clocks twice a year.

— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) March 16, 2022

The Senate unanimously passed a bill to keep daylight savings time year round.

I co-sponsored @marcorubio’s House companion bill to make it happen and keep the sun shining later all year long! ☀️

— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) March 15, 2022

Breitbart criticized the move citing a similar move by President Nixon in the 1970’s:

However, they failed to deal with a problem that derailed a similar effort by President Nixon, who made DST permanent in 1974, in the midst of the Arab oil embargo. As the New York Times recalled, the result was dark winter mornings that were dangerous for children walking to school or waiting for the bus: