It’s almost as routine as setting your clock ahead in spring and back in the fall – the move to eliminate Daylight Saving Time by lawmakers.
Republican State Senator Jim Honeyford (R-Sunnyside) in Yakima County is now having his turn.
He’s introduced SB 5329 that would exercise Washington’s right under the Uniform Time Act to opt out of Daylight Saving Time and remain on Pacific Standard Time year round.
“I didn’t really realize the problems that it creates,” said Honeyford. “There’s an increased number of accidents, increased suicides, heart attacks.”
Those are the arguments foes of Daylight Saving have used for years. But, there’s some new ammunition.
According to a 2014 study in the journal Open Heart, the number of heart attacks increased 24 percent on the Monday following Daylight Saving Time compared with the daily average for the weeks surrounding the time change.
The Washington Traffic Safety Commission and Washington Department of Transportation could not provide crash comparison figures in time for the article. But, at a Senate Hearing on Wednesday, nobody testified for or against Honeyford’s bill.
In 2015, a similar bill in both the Senate and House failed to move out of their respective committees and was never voted on by lawmakers.
Oregon has tried too, but failed to pass a bill in 2015 and a signature campaign failed to qualify an initiative for the ballot.
According to Ballotpedia, Washington voters twice rejected Daylight Saving Time in 1952 and 1954, but in 1960 it passed and the state has had it ever since.
A persuasive argument for passage in 1960 was made by the agricultural industry, claiming the switch would be an economic benefit. Honeyford, a farmer for 20 years, isn’t buy it.
“I think that it was a myth that it was designed for agriculture,” said Honeyford. “I believe that it’s out lived it’s use.”
At the World of Clocks in Lynnwood, they’ve haven’t turned back or forward on their clocks for years.
“It’s too much work,” said Crystal Rice, who’s worked there for 13 years. “I’m for dropping it, it’s tough on my 4-year-old daughter too.”
They’re already saving time and it didn’t take a vote in Olympia to make it so.
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