The bill also known as the Sunshine Protection Act was co-sponsored by 17 members of both the left and right parties. It was unanimously passed. Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio has been a long-standing proponent of the clock change being made permanent. He led the push for the bill to be passed.
Rubio stated on the Senate floor, “The good news? If we can get it passed, then we don’t need to continue doing this stupidity anymore.” “Hopefully, this will be the year that it gets done, and, pardon me for the pun, this idea has come to fruition.”
Rubio cited research that showed an increase in sunlight hours during the day can lead to a reduction in crime and seasonal depression, as well as more time for children outside.
He said, “What actually happens is that, especially for the 16 weeks of this year, if there’s no park or outdoor facility with lights around 5 p.m. in some cases, 4 or 4:30 p.m.,” These lights are costly and many communities are resistant to them.
Daylight Savings Time begins on the second weekend in March and ends on the first weekend in November. In 2007, the federal government extended this period by four more weeks. Rubio’s bill, which he introduced, delays the change until 2023 in order to accommodate airlines and other industries that plan their schedules well in advance.
To become law, the Senate bill must be approved by Congress and signed by President Obama. A similar version of the bill was introduced in the House and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce last week. In a hearing last Wednesday, experts testified before the subcommittee and urged lawmakers for the change.
Simply put, darkness is deadly. Professor Steve Calandrillo, University of Washington, stated that darkness in the evening is more fatal than in the morning. The evening rush hour is twice the fatality rate as the morning because there are many reasons. There are more people on the roads, more alcohol in the bloodstreams, drivers are racing to get home, and more children playing outside, unsupervised.
