Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent In Washington: Lawmakers

OLYMPIA, WA - For the sake of "consistency and predictability," a couple of state lawmakers are proposing that Washington do away with spring and fall clock changes, staying on Pacific Standard Time permanently.

Two bills - Senate Bill 5139 and House Bill 1196 - have multiple sponsors, and have progressed to committee hearings.

Under the federal Uniform Time Act, most states move clocks an hour back in the fall and an hour forward in the spring. That creates extra daylight in evening hours during more seasonable times of the year, which supposedly helps commerce. But that federal law allows states to secede with permission from the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

States like Hawaii and Arizona, in part, do not switch clocks. But state policy analysts have pointed out that Washington is much different from those states. Because we're so far north, we have less daylight in general.

But on the pro side, permanent Pacific Standard Time could have some health and safety effects.

"Research indicates that changing of times is detrimental to students testing, more auto accidents, more heart attacks and other health issues occur due to this change," an analysis of the Senate bill reads.

Whatever the outcome of these bills, Washington will spring forward on March 10 at 2 a.m.