Daylight savings: When Arkansans tried to stop changing the clocks

Kyler Swaim
·2 min read
3

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Arkansans will soon lose one hour of sleep as the clocks jump ahead on March 10, marking the start of daylight saving time.

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Arkansas is among 48 states that turn the clocks twice a year with Arizona and Hawaii leaving their clocks untouched year-round.

While Arkansas lawmakers have tried to add the Natural State to that short list, the attempts have fallen short.

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Here are a few of the recent attempts:

State Representative Sarah Capp (R-Ozark) filed House Bill 1368 in February 2019 which would adopt year-round standard time and eliminate daylight saving time in Arkansas. However, Capp withdrew the bill 23 days after filing it.

Rep. Johnny Rye (R-Trumann) filed House Bill 1017 in 2020, the exact opposite of Capp’s bill. Daylight saving time would be adopted year-round and standard time would go away. The bill passed the House in February 2021 by a 71-24 vote but died in a Senate committee meeting in October of that year.

Rye tried again in 2022 with House Bill 1039, which would have also adopted daylight saving time. One month later, Rye withdrew the bill.

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A fourth attempt was made in 2023. Rep. Stephen Meeks (R-Greenbrier) filed House Bill 1568 in an attempt to eliminate daylight saving time and observe standard time year-round. The bill was withdrawn three weeks later.

Another attempt made in 2023 was done by Rep. R. Scott Richardson (R-Bentonville) and co-sponsored by Rep. Wayne Long (R-Bradford) with House Bill 1104. It was also withdrawn about two weeks after it was filed.

Is standard time better than daylight savings, or vice-versa?

Well, it depends on who you ask.

“The healthiest choice would be on permanent standard time all year round,” Dr. Beth Malow, the Director of Vanderbilt University’s Sleep Division, said to Nexstar’s WKRN in 2022. “I say that because we need our light in the morning to get us going and if we have too much light in the evening, which is what happens with permanent Daylight Saving- it could really interfere with our sleep, and we need to sleep well for our health.”

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However, a 2022 CBS News poll showed more people would prefer daylight saving time over standard time but the results weren’t overwhelming. 46% wanted daylight saving time year-round with 33% wanting the opposite. 21% wanted to keep it the way it is and change the clocks twice a year.

Those who voted for daylight saving time said they were in a better mood, were more productive later in the day and it saved energy.

Those choosing the opposite said it’s more in line with humans’ biological rhythm, people would sleep better and be more productive earlier in the day.

Whichever Arkansans prefer, the clocks will be turned twice a year for the foreseeable future.

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