U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville joined fellow senator Marco Rubio in an effort to make Daylight Saving Time (DST) permanent across the country. Tuberville became a cosponsor of the Sunshine Protection Act in a show of support for modernizing the antiquated practice of adjusting daylight hours twice a year. Although many states have pushed to make DST permanent, a change in the federal statute is required.
Benjamin Franklin proposed the concept of Daylight Savings Time in 1784. However, DST didn’t officially begin until more than a century later. Germany established DST in May 1916, aiming to conserve fuel during World War I. In 1918, the United States adopted daylight saving time.
“Alabamians have made it clear that springing forward and falling back should be a thing of the past,” Tuberville said in a press release. “Centuries ago, a time change might have made sense, but it doesn’t today. An additional hour of sunshine during cold winter months would be welcome news for folks on their way to work and kids on their way home from school. It just makes sense to pass the Sunshine Protection Act.”
The legislation, if enacted, would apply to those states who currently participate in DST, which most states observe for eight months out of the year. From November to March, Standard Time is only observed for four months out of the year. The bill would negate the need for Americans to change their clocks twice a year. Many studies have shown that making DST permanent could benefit the economy and the country.
Daylight Saving Time begins this year on Sunday, March 14, and lasts until Sunday, November 7.
