Oklahoma senator proposes staying on Daylight Saving Time

SHERMAN, Texas (KXII) - Oklahoma Senator Blake Stephens wrote a trigger law that would go into effect if the Sunshine Protection Act passes the house in Congress. The trigger law passed the state senate and is waiting to pass the state house.

United States Senator for Oklahoma, James Langford, has been part of the authorization of the Sunshine Protection Act, he said it passed in the U.S. Senate last year but never made it past the house.

“It’s our hope again to bring it up and in the days ahead to finally have one set of time,” Langford.

The act would allow states to decide if they want to remain on just Standard Time, Daylight Saving Time, or continue to switch back and forth.

“We’re just taking a proactive approach,” Stephens said.

This approach is the trigger law. The law proposes that Oklahoma would remain on Daylight Saving Time permanently. This would add an hour of daylight to each evening. However, the Sunshine Protection Act must pass and the law must pass the state house for it to go into effect.

“Our people are ready to lock the clock,” Stephens said, “You can’t manufacture daylight but what you can do is you can do is manage a clock and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

He said utilizing this extra hour will have benefits for the economy because people tend to stay in when it gets dark.

“When people quit driving they quit spending,” Stephens said.

He adds that it helps with safety because crime is reduced by 27% during DST. In addition, he said it has positive impacts on physical and mental health.

“It’s vitamin D, which is free and the best kind of vitamin D that we can get,” Stephens said.

Across the Red River, Texas Senators Bettencourt and Schofield filed a bill proposing that Texans would be able to vote on whether or not to stay on one time or continue switching.

“Hopefully we’ll be together when Congress passes this Sunshine Protection Act,” Stephens said.

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