OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Another November is here, and the annual ritual of changing clocks remains a topic of national discussion, with potential legislative changes on the horizon that could end the decades-long practice of switching time twice a year.
“As a Florida girl and an equestrian, I prefer lighter longer,” Angela Baumgartner of Tavares tells us. “It allows me to get things done after work, like riding and various other outside chores.
Not all of Florida participates in this biannual ritual but here in the 352, we’ll be setting those clocks back Sunday morning at 2 a.m.
“I love it because if it’s dark at 6 p.m. I don’t have to feel guilty about getting in my pajamas early,” explains Lisa Varner of Ocala, on a positive note.
Cathy Snow of Summerfield, on the other hand, isn’t a fan. “I hate it getting so dark so early at night. When I leave work after 5, I like it to be daylight not getting dark.”
The Daylight Saving Time (DST) tradition, which began during World War I as a fuel conservation measure, has become increasingly controversial. A 2019 poll revealed that 71% of Americans want to stop the biannual clock adjustments, citing negative health and safety impacts.
Key developments in the ongoing time change debate include:
- 29 states have introduced legislation for year-round Daylight Saving Time
- The United States Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act in March 2022
- The bill would make Daylight Saving Time permanent starting in 2023 (it didn’t)
- The House of Representatives continues to deliberate the legislation
“I am not a fan of daylight savings time I believe they should just get rid of it altogether,” Kimberly Chappell of Ocala shares. “What difference does an hour make anyway forward or backwards? Let’s just leave the time alone.”
Meanwhile, Jennifer Kramer Leeds of Ocala tells us “I’m good with it,” adding that she looks forward to the change.”
Health professionals have long criticized the time changes, pointing to potential consequences such as:
- Increased traffic accidents
- Higher risk of heart attacks
- Disruption of circadian rhythms
- Temporary sleep deficit
Sharon Kent of Ocala says that time change is tough for dementia patients. “Nights are the worst when the anxiety and everything sets up; we forget,” she shares. “It’s [already] worse at night and now with it getting darker sooner, it’s just an extra hour that I have to deal with it.”
The bill’s passage remains uncertain, with House representatives weighing complex considerations including health implications and potential economic impacts. Fundamental disagreements about the legislation’s language and competing priorities have stalled progress.
“I’m totally a mess either hours early or late because I can’t figure out how to change the car clock,” says retired Dunnellon High School teacher Jane Ashman. “Please just pick one and stick with it!”
For now, residents should prepare to turn their clocks back on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, at 2 a.m., continuing the longstanding tradition that began with railroad industry time management and was federally standardized in 1966.
“I loved the saying for the bill to get rid of it entirely: Lock the Clock,” says Lisa Underhill of Lake Butler.
As the debate continues, Americans await a potential end to the twice-yearly time change that has become a familiar, if controversial, part of modern life.