Bill would make daylight saving time permanent in Pennsylvania

If some Pennsylvania lawmakers get their way, you won’t need to remember the phrase “spring forward, fall back.”

Lawmakers are pushing a bill that urges Congress to authorize states to make daylight saving time apply year-round. The House State Government Committee approved the bill on Wednesday.

The bill, which passed on a 23-2 vote, is similar to legislation that has been advanced in 15 other states. It is a frequent complaint of constituents when it comes time to change the clocks, said Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh County, who sponsored the bill.

“If we would go to daylight saving time, there have been various studies that show there would be energy savings to the United States. There would be less crime. There would be healthier individuals because of reduced traffic accidents, less strokes, etc.,” Mackenzie said. “There would be more time to be spent outdoors and doing leisure activities. “

Rep. Russ Diamond, R-Lebanon County, concurred with Mackenzie’s desire to end the need to change clocks twice a year.

“It’s about time,” he said.

Diamond has his own bill that achieves the same goal as Mackenzie’s. But Diamond’s bill would keep Pennsylvania permanently on standard time and his measure would not require congressional approval.

Diamond said he does worry that remaining on daylight saving time could result in it remaining dark until 8 a.m. in the wintertime, which could present a safety issue for schoolchildren walking to school or waiting for the bus.

“There are arguments either way on which time we should end up on but the ultimate goal should be to stop changing clocks twice a year,” Diamond said.

Rep. Margo Davidson, D-Delaware County, commented on complaints she has heard in her travels to foreign countries about the inconvenience the semi-annual time changes cause for those trying to conduct business with American companies.

Committee Chairman Seth Grove, R-York County, said if he’s not mistaken, the United States is in the company of a minority of countries that do time changes like this.

While there was broad support in the committee for the bill, Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Westmoreland County, joined Rep. Regina Young, D-Philadelphia, in casting the dissenting votes. Nelson said, “It’s not the end of the world for us to have to shift our clocks, one way or the falling back, springing forward.”

He added the time changes are helpful in a rural community when it comes to determining whether “you’re going to be either feeding the animals and doing chores before school or playing baseball a little bit later in the evening. … So I’m going to respectfully oppose this St. Patrick’s Day attack on our shifting of time.”