State Senator Wants To Make Daylight Savings Permanent in New York
Early Sunday morning at 2 AM, we set the clocks ahead an hour marking the beginning of daylight savings. And while we're losing an hour of sleep this weekend, we now enter a time where we'll experience some of the longest hours of daily sunlight. The days keep getting longer and longer until the Summer Solstice, which is Tuesday, June 21, at 5:13 AM.
But is there even a point in setting the clocks back again later this year?
You may remember when a New York State Senator tried to make daylight saving time a permanent fixture. WROC is reporting that Senator Joseph Griffo, of the 47th District, introduced a bill in 2020 that would keep the clocks set at daylight saving time all year round.
It’s time to turn the page on changing our clocks twice a year and, given the similar interests of New York and contiguous states, it makes sense to do so regionally.
Democratic Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara joined Senator Joseph Griffo in 2021, with similar legislation that was once again introduced. Santabarbara's bill would have allowed New York to form an agreement with other Eastern states—including Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, that would make DST year-round.
New York Metro Weather co-founder John Homenuk says that changing the time again in fall "boggles the mind".
Federal law currently prohibits daylight saving time for the entire year. If New York ever were to do this, they would follow nineteen other states that have already enacted legislation for year-round daylight saving time. Some studies say keeping daylight saving hours year-round can help save energy, and reduce crime and accidents.
If a proposal to end time changes across the state sounds a little familiar, you may remember this story from early 2020? State Senator James Skoufis, out of Cornwall, wanted to end daylight savings and move New York to Atlantic Standard Time. Skoufis referred to the current method as "antiquated" and "nothing short of annoying".