Pennsylvania Lawmaker Proposes Legislation To Permanently End Daylight Saving Time
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HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- A Pennsylvania lawmaker says he is planning to introduce legislation to end daylight saving time in Pennsylvania. State Rep. Russ Diamond, from Lebanon County, says daylight saving time has "outlived its usefulness."
The Republican from the 102nd District says daylight saving time began during World War I as an attempt to save energy. But Diamond argues that with the invention of air conditioning and energy-efficient light bulbs, energy savings from daylight saving have become almost nonexistent.
"There is no national crisis that changing clocks helps to alleviate," Diamond writes.
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Diamond cites a 2016 study of 300 U.S. cities that found daylight saving was responsible for $434 million in annual economic losses, including negative economic impact in every Pennsylvania metropolitan area studied.
As of now, Arizona and Hawaii are the only states to not observe daylight saving time. And Diamond wants Pennsylvania to lead the way in a regional push to end the practice.
"Changing clocks twice every year simply because 'we've always done it that way' is not enough reason to continue the practice," Diamond writes.
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Diamond wants the state to follow Eastern Standard Time year-round, which would eliminate the later summer sunset caused by daylight saving.
"Some may assume that adopting permanent DST is more appealing due to the emotional romanticism of summertime activities during the other three seasons," Diamond says. "However, given that Pennsylvania is geographically situated roughly between the 75th and 80th parallels, our traditional schedules as they relate to winter daylight, and the natural idea that noon should approximate the time of the sun's zenith (hence, 'mid-day'), Eastern Standard Time is the logical preference."