TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill that could eliminate the biannual clock changes by making daylight saving time permanent. This legislation has received support across party lines and allows states to decide if they wish to adopt this change. In Florida, numerous lawmakers are eager to stop adjusting the clocks twice a year.
“Everyone’s out enjoying the outdoors,” remarked a man strolling along Tampa’s Riverwalk.
He mentioned that these are the moments when he values daylight saving time the most.
“We spent some time living in Hawaii, where they don’t observe daylight saving time, and it was fantastic,” said a family passing by.
If the Senate approves, the rest of the county could see daylight saving time become permanent. The U.S. House passed the Sunshine Protection Act Tuesday. The final vote was 308-117. Before the vote, Pennsylvania Congresswoman Madeleine Dean gave examples from out of Florida on why she’s against the bill.
“The policy was popular until parents realized their children had to travel to school in darkness, armed with flashlights. After eight Florida children were killed in traffic accidents, the governor called on Congress to end the two-year experiment early. Over 50 years later, we’re making the same mistake again,” Dean said.
One woman said she prefers making the switch.
“I like ‘Fall Back’ because I live in one of these high rises and it wakes me up earlier to take her out,” she said, referencing her dog.
Though some people said they are indifferent on the topic.
“I’ll be honest with you; it doesn’t really matter. Yeah, because we got to get our 8 hours of sleep anyway,” said one man.
Tampa Bay Congressman Vern Buchanan has advocated for permanent daylight saving time for years. He told 8 On Your Side he thinks we’re close to it happening.
“There’s a lot of enormous benefits, specially in terms of if you look at the economy, get an extra hour of sunshine in Florida. That means more jobs, more opportunities for small businesses,” Buchanan said.
Time won’t stop regardless of how the Senate votes. But changing the clock twice a year could stop, and some say they like it better that way.
“This is good. Like, people get off work. There are a few hours, the sun goes down. It’s just like what really works with most people’s lives,” said one man.
The Senate voted to make daylight saving time permanent back in 2022, but that bill never passed in the house. Another version introduced by Florida U.S. Senator Rick Scott last year never made it to a vote. Tuesday, both Senators Scott and Ashley Moody said they want to lock the clock.