Time to Stop Clock on Daylight Saving Time? Not Likely

Two legislative proposals want to take Michigan back to 1966, when the state exempted itself from daylight saving time. (Photo via Flickr)

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State Rep Peter Lucido, R-Shelby Township, is the latest Michigan lawmaker who wants to ditch daylight saving time once and for all.

Don’t count down the minutes waiting for that to happen, though. For now, you’ll want to remember to set your clocks back an hour before you go to bed Saturday. Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1.

With House Bill 4986, Lucido wants to take a time hop back to 1966, when Michigan exempted itself from the federal law requiring the clock juggling. The state didn’t come back on board until 1972,

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“Daylight saving time hasn’t done what it was supposed to do, which was save energy as a result of needing to have less lights on,” Lucido told Michigan Capitol Confidential, citing what he said were empirical studies that show the promised energy savings haven’t been realized.

“Meanwhile, modern computers, servers and other electronic devices that people rely on — including automobile clocks — don’t always make smooth adjustments to the twice-a-year time changes,” he said.

There are all kinds of arguments both for and against daylight saving time.

For example, a University of Michigan study found a 25 percent surge in heart attacks on the first full work day after the time switch.

Even if they’re not clutching at their hearts in the grips of full cardiac arrest, people may be grumpy as they try to reset their internal time clocks and adjust to the change, Lucido said.

“There is also the physiological effect the time switches have on people,” he said. “As a business owner I’ve seen the negative impacts the time changes can have. People are tired, tardy more often, don’t function as well and even suffer ill effects immediately after the changes.”

What, No After-Work Golfing?

Hold on, though.

“This would be an industry killer for golf courses,” said Kate M. Moore, executive director of the Michigan Golf Course Owners Association, told Capitol Confidential, explaining that people who work during the day flock to golf courses after they clock out.

“The average round takes two and a half hours and without daylight saving time, operating golf leagues would be very difficult,” Moore said. “This legislation would jeopardize about 50 percent of those businesses’ revenues.”

Lucido and Irwin said they’re open to switching to Daylight Saving Time year-round if that better serves the economic and other interests of the state. Lucido’s bill also exempts the Upper Peninsula, which is already caught in a bit of a time warp. Four western U.P. counties bordering Wisconsin are on Central Standard Time.

Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, who represents those counties, said they’re not interested in changing. And in addition to the possible tourism hit, ending DST would mean children would be going to school in the dark, he said.

Irwin said that’s a non-issue.

“Look, it’s always cold and dark on winter mornings regardless of what we do,” he said. “If that was the only obstacle I believe we could find ways to make accommodations to avoid the problem.”

Tell Us

• What do you think. Is it time to eliminate daylight saving time?

» Below, watch a Patch.com video on why we have daylight saving time.