Prop. 7 Will Give Californians A Chance To Weigh In On Daylight Saving Time
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA/AP) — Californians are about to fall back and gain an hour of sleep, so maybe Nov. 6 is not the best time to vote on whether to end daylight saving time.
Prop. 7 would repeal California's Daylight Saving Time Act passed back in 1949, setting the state's clocks permanently to Pacific Standard Time and eliminating the need to fall back or spring forward.
Democratic Rep. Kansen Chu of San Jose said he sponsored the measure after his dentist called him to complain about springing forward, when clocks move ahead in March, taking away an hour's sleep in the middle of the night and shifting an hour of sunlight from the morning to the evening.
Chu looked into the issue further and learned that the original reason for implementing daylight saving — to save energy during WWI — no longer seems to apply to the modern world. In fact, some studies have found that daylight saving time actually increases electricity use during the summer.
Chu also came across studies that show an increased risk of car accidents and heart attacks following the spring change, due to the loss of an hour's sleep.
Supporters of getting rid of the bi-annual time change says it negatively impacts the economy and individual health, but opponents say making such a change would put the Golden State out of sync with most other states.
Hawaii and Arizona are the only U.S. states that do not adhere to daylight saving time.
Even if voters approve Prop. 7, putting California permanently on Pacific Standard Time would still require congressional approval.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
