WASHINGTON — Starting Sunday, alarm clocks rollback and sleep schedules are cut an hour short. Yep, Daylight Savings Time is here! And if you live in Maryland, that change could be more permanent if one lawmaker has a say in it.
Republican Senator Justin Ready wants Daylight Savings Time in Maryland "to spring forward and stay there."
Ready's newly proposed bill would make daylight savings permanent in Maryland, he testified in front of the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee on Thursday. The bill would add Maryland’s name to the list of states who have already petitioned for the change, which Ready said 41 other states already have or are considering legislation to.
Supporters of permanent Daylight Savings advocate for the extra daylight hour, citing safer well-lit roads during rush hour traffic.
“Rush-hour driving at 5:30 p.m. is a lot better than when it’s dark," Ready told the committee.
But opponents for permanent Daylight Savings argue confusing time switches lead to upset school schedules and more frustration.
The bill can't take effect until federal law is changed -- currently, states are allowed to choose not to observe the time switch (hello, Arizona!) but they can't choose to observe it permanently. Congress has until Dec.31, 2025 to change the law. If it isn't, the bill goes out of effect.
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