Daylight Saving Time ended on Sunday, and setting back the clock an hour has been ROUGH.
Me, every single year. As if it’s never happened before.
Studies have found it doesn't really make a difference on energy consumption — the original goal of the time changes.
So what's the point? THERE ISN'T ONE.
daylight saving time
So in this divided political moment, California voters boldly came together on Tuesday to say they'd had enough of this nonsense.
Proposition 7, a statewide ballot initiative in 2018, would permanently keep California in Daylight Saving Time, meaning more light in the evenings and no falling back in November.
Proponents said doing away with the time change would be good for people who have a hard time adjusting, particularly the elderly and children. Supporters also pointed to research that showed a connection between time changes and fatal car crashes.
Opponents suggested staying on Daylight Saving Time would make winter mornings extra dark, which could be a safety hazard for children trying to get to school.
If this sounds very similar to a plot line in HBO's Veep, that's because it is. Still, Californians overwhelmingly passed Proposition 7 with 60% of the vote.
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But Daylight Saving Time's reign of terror in the Golden State isn't over: The issue is now in the hands of the state legislature ~and~ the federal government.
Under the new law, the state legislature has the power to end Daylight Saving Time in California — with a two-thirds vote. And that can only happen if the federal government first changes its laws governing time.
If that were to happen, California would remain one hour ahead of Pacific Standard Time during the winter months, making it a unique new time zone.
So when will time change actually end in California? Probably not for a while.
But there is a momentum around the world to do away with yearly time changes. The European Union is considering ending Daylight Saving Time, and earlier this year, Florida approved its Sunshine Protection Act, which would similarly end time changes in the state — if the federal government agrees.
And if you can't wait, move to Hawaii or Arizona: Both states keep their own standard time, and it's been working out fine.
