Alabama Lawmakers Push Forward Permanent Daylight Saving Time

State Rep. Ritchie Whorton, R-Owens Cross Roads, explains the legislation that would make Daylight Saving Time year-round in Alabama in the Alabama House Economic Development and Tourism Committee meeting, which was held yesterday, April 28, 2021, in the State House in Montgomery, Ala. Making DST permanent is one of the popular bills that was advanced to the statehouse.  

However, the decision whether to abolish Daylight Saving Time depends on Congress’s decision. If Congress approves it, there would be an end to the biannual time shifts, which occur every March and November. This year, DST has started on the second Sunday in March when Alabama residents moved their clocks forward by one hour. They need to turn the clocks back to standard time on the first Sunday of November this year.

Alabama is only one of the many states that have proposed making Daylight Saving Time year-round. In the last four years, 15 states have enacted legislation to make DST permanent. Georgia and Louisiana are some of the states that have proposed a similar bill last year. The House Economic Development and Tourism Committee has approved the measure of Alabama on Wednesday, advancing the bill to the full House for a vote. The excellent news for Alabama residents is that the Senate has already approved it.

The committee has full support for the bill, but it still creates confusion among committee members. One of the primary concerns is if the endorsement for year-round Daylight Saving Time in one state could also change the current time zone alignment. According to State Rep. Rhonda Hollis, D-Birmingham, Alabama, and Georgia could be in the same time zone. Currently, Georgia is one hour ahead of Alabama because it observes the Eastern time zone, while Alabama is within the Central time zone.