Daylight Saving Time ends in Utah at 2 am this Sunday. In light of recent polls favoring doing away with the bi-annual change, the subject is likely to once again come up during next year's legislative session.
A UtahPolicy.com poll shows 44% are in favor of getting rid of Daylight Saving Time. A poll this summer by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development found 67% in favor of dropping DST. H.B. 197 authorized GOED to study the issue. Republican Representative Lee Perry of Box Elder and Weber Counties says he plans on running legislation next year dealing with the time change.
“And I think the legislature’s job is to look at the discussions both sides and look at both sides of the argument and determine, there’s got to be a cost benefit analysis as well as the fact the citizens voice has to be heard,” says Perry.
He says feelings are mixed among his constituents with many expressing concerns about the negative health issues related to changing the clocks twice a year.
“And farmers have the attitude of it’s a false adjustment of hours; there’s “X” numbers of hours a day period,” says Perry. “And farmers, they get up before the sun comes up and they go to bed after the sun goes down.”
Perry says farmers who also have jobs in town face a different set of challenges and are generally in favor of keeping the present system. He says he’s confident his legislation will get a committee hearing but beyond that he is unsure. He also speculated the issue could get on an general election ballot next year.
NOTE: This article was revised from the original posting changing the word 'arrives' in the first sentence to 'ends.' The author apologizes for the mistake and confusion it may have caused.
