Lawmaker wins committee approval to study ending twice‑yearly clock changes

A lawmaker urged the committee to create a study committee to examine whether the state should stop changing clocks twice a year, saying the goal was to decide “if there's a benefit to remaining on Standard Time or changing to daylight savings time in some fashion.”

The speaker opened with anecdotes about recent traffic accidents and argued the clock change contributes to risk on major roads. He cited what he said were public opinions against the twice‑annual shift, calling it "not worth the hassle," and summarized federal legal history, referencing the Standard Time Act of 1918 and the Uniform Time Act of 1966 as the statutory framework the study would review.

The lawmaker pointed to Florida's recent legislative action as an example but cautioned that permanent daylight saving time typically requires application to the U.S. Department of Transportation or congressional action. He proposed the legislature form a study committee and suggested the committee could hold hearings over the summer if approved.

The committee moved and the motion to form the study committee was put to voice vote; the lawmaker reported the motion passed after members were asked for the ayes. The record in the transcript does not provide a named mover, second, or a numeric roll‑call tally; the outcome was described verbally as approved.

The study committee, if formed with speaker approval, would be tasked with reviewing health, safety and economic evidence and returning recommendations to the chamber.