Like clockwork, another bill has appeared in the Michigan legislature to exempt the state from daylight saving time.
House Bill 4303, sponsored by state Rep. Michele Hoitenga, R-Manton, would keep Michigan on the same time schedule while other states fall back or spring ahead an hour twice a year. The bill also calls for the entire state to be included in the Eastern Standard Time Zone - currently, four counties in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are located in the Central Time Zone.
Hoitenga announced the legislation as Michiganders prepared to switch their clocks for daylight saving time 2019, which began 2 a.m. Sunday, March 10 and ends 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 3.
She said the bi-annual time change can negatively affect performance and health of workers and students across the state, especially during the “spring forward” period.
“Time change has been a nuisance to workers and students across Michigan for decades,” Hoitenga said. “The practice is antiquated and impractical and it’s time we put an end to it – pun intended.”
Hoitenga’s bill was referred to the House Commerce and Tourism Committee.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike have introduced bills in recent sessions to take Michigan off of daylight saving time, but so far none have been successful.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, bills examining the need for a bi-annual time change have come up in at least 26 states in 2019, although no major changes have passed in recent years.