Are WA State Senators Pushing for ‘Wrong’ Permanent Time Change?

Over the last few years, numerous studies have shown the practice of turning clocks forward one hour in the spring, and back in the fall has a negative effect.

  WA Legislators pushing a bill in January to do away with the practice

According to KING-5 TV in Seattle:

"A body of research has shown that switching between daylight saving time and standard time has negative impacts on public health, including an increase in traffic accidents, greater risks of heart attacks, more frequent workplace injuries and increased suicide rates in the days immediately after, according to the bill text. "

Most WA residents in various surveys would prefer permanent daylight savings time, which is what we observe from March until November.   In 2019 the US Senate approved a bill from Senator Patty Murray allowing the US to do that (it requires Congressional approval) but it never got a vote in the House.

However, WA state could adopt Pacific Standard Time (permanently turn back the clocks in November) without needing the approval of Congress.

A new bill, pre-filed for January by State Senators Jeff Wilson and Manka Dhingra, would establish permanent Pacific Standard Time. According to the bill, we would still turn the clocks ahead in the Spring of 2025, and then turn back in November of 2025, and leave them there.

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KING-5 says most WA residents would prefer we turn the clocks forward, and leave them there. This bill would do the opposite.

The Pacific Standard Time Bill was also filed in the 2024 legislative session, but never made it out of committee.

Two years ago, a CNN article about the subject said national studies show 61 percent of Americans surveyed prefer Daylight Savings Time (spring forward) as permanent.  One of the biggest reasons? Turning clocks back in November propels Americans into a a seemingly longer, darker winter day.