Texans and residents of other states that observe daylight savings time will turn back their clocks on Sunday, with millions of people set to enjoy an extra hour of shut-eye.
Daylight savings time (DST) ends on November 5 at 2 a.m., at which point clocks should be wound back one hour.
Many people will not have to take such action, however, as most smart devices automatically adjust the time to account for DST. However, when it comes to older digital and analog appliances and gadgets (think stoves, older car radios), Americans will likely have to recall how exactly to turn back the clock.
Although the twice-a-year time adjustment is a familiar ritual for most Americans, the value of DST has been the subject of conversation in Texas lately. As previously covered by The Dallas Express, the federal government does allow states to opt out of the century-old practice, which was initially implemented to preserve energy resources during World War I. Both Hawaii and Arizona passed state laws resolving not to observe DST in 1967 and 1968, respectively.
In Texas, the debate has been about whether to stay on DST rather than opt-out. However, “states do not have the authority to choose to be on permanent Daylight Savings Time,” according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Nonetheless, Rep. Will Metcalf (R-Conroe) authored a bill last spring called HB 1422 that would do just that in the event that the federal government passes a law that would authorize states to do so. The bill is still in committee, but if enacted, it would end the bi-annual practice of adjusting the state’s clocks.
Over the past few years, similar legislative measures have been passed in Alabama, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Idaho, Louisiana, Ohio, South Carolina, Utah, Wyoming, Delaware, Maine, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington, Florida, California, and Colorado. All are still awaiting congressional approval.
Alongside Texas, several other states currently have legislative measures still under consideration to adopt DST time permanently, including Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, according to WFAA.
While the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill in 2022 sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) called the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make DST permanent, the House of Representatives has yet to take it up.
A survey conducted by CBS News found that an overwhelming majority of Americans would rather end the clock-adjusting practice. However, they are divided on whether DST is better than Standard Time, with 46% of respondents preferring the former and 33% the latter.
