HARRISBURG – As Pennsylvanians prepare to set their clocks back on Saturday night as Daylight Saving Time ends, Senator Scott Martin (R-13) is continuing to push for an end to the twice-yearly time changes, once and for all.
Earlier this year, Martin reintroduced a Senate Resolution urging Congress to make Daylight Saving Time permanent in the United States.
Daylight Saving Time began as an energy-saving measure in World War I and was made permanent for most states in 1966 with passage of the Uniform Time Act. However, studies show that the twice-a-year time change results in more accidents, health problems and a loss of productivity of more than $400 million annually.
“Studies have shown that the time change does more harm than good for our economy and for the safety of our citizens,” Martin said. “There is no good reason why we need to continue to move the clocks forward and backward every few months. It only robs us of daylight in the evenings when most families spend time together and creates more dangerous driving conditions when many people are going home from work.”
Eliminating the transition between standard time and Daylight Saving Time would require action at the federal level. Arizona and Hawaii are currently exempt from time changes resulting from Daylight Saving Time, while exemptions from standard time have been proposed in Maine, Massachusetts and Florida.
CONTACT: Terry Trego (717) 787-6535