Florida Senate Approves Year Round Daylight Savings Time

March 7, 2018

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Northwest Florida took a big step toward year-round daylight saving time after a Senate vote Tuesday.

Floridians will change their clocks forward on Sunday, but that could become a thing of the past under a proposal that cleared the Legislature on Tuesday. The Senate voted 33-2 to give final approval to a measure (HB 1013) intended to eventually keep Florida on daylight-saving time throughout the year. Sen. Doug Broxson, whose district includes Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, voted in favor of the bill.

The next stop is the desk of Gov. Rick Scott, whose office said he will review the proposal after formally receiving it. If Scott signs the bill, Congress would ultimately be responsible for approving the proposed change.

If approved, Northwest Florida would be one hour ahead of neighboring Alabama during part of the year, including winter. For example, on Christmas Day if it were 10 a.m. in North Escambia, it would be 9 a.m. in Atmore.

The idea of year-round daylight-saving time has been promoted as a way to help the state’s tourism industry, as people would be able to stay out later with the additional sunlight.

Hawaii and most of Arizona currently don’t participate in switching from standard time to daylight-saving time and back. They stay on standard time throughout the year.

by The News Service of Florida with contribution from NorthEscambia.com

Pictured: This clock in Flomaton, AL, would be one hour behind neighboring Century, FL, several months out of the year if year-round daylight saving time is implemented in Florida. NorthEscambia.com photo.

Comments

37 Responses to “Florida Senate Approves Year Round Daylight Savings Time”

  1. Peggy on March 10th, 2018 8:49 pm

    I literally live 3 min from Alabama, for some one who shops in atmore Alabama and goes to church In Perdido Alabama this would just make things confusing and hard. I just don’t see the point in doing this, we are all use to how things are. Don’t fix something that ain’t broken

  2. Mary on March 8th, 2018 8:27 pm

    Please leave it alone.

  3. timer on March 8th, 2018 10:48 am

    Fine, as long as everyone in the country adheres to the same rules. This has the potential to destroy our fragile civilization.

  4. Carol on March 8th, 2018 8:57 am

    I hope it goes through. I would like to see that happen.

  5. Niknak50 on March 8th, 2018 7:10 am

    You notice when it comes to tackling the hard issues, our state congress people melt like Popsicles on a hot sidewalk. Really, where is/was this issue priority wise? With so many challenges facing our state it’s sad that something like this ever reaches the house or senate floor. Not only that, but I’ve discovered so many members aren’t even bothering to read bills up for consideration, and can’t tell you what it’s about when you call.

  6. Grant on March 8th, 2018 6:59 am

    I think Senator Broxson should focus on more important issues than trying to change daylight saving time.

  7. Allen Emmons on March 8th, 2018 4:20 am

    just leave stuff alone if you want to do anything go to regular time nationwide and leave it alone from there.

  8. A on March 8th, 2018 3:14 am

    Everybody use that Flomaton clock. It’s been stuck on that same time since 1993. Stop the aging process.

  9. DG on March 7th, 2018 11:45 pm

    If we’re doing this, it needs to be on a federal level. So much confusion.

  10. Pcola born and raised on March 7th, 2018 6:00 pm

    It’s a great idea. For all the naysayers because of their commute to and from Alabama, if it’s an issue, then move to the state in which you work. After all, it’s an hour…60 minutes

  11. David on March 7th, 2018 5:49 pm

    For those complaining about the difference this will create between Florida and Alabama. Alabama already has a bill waiting in the legislature for Florida’s Bill to pass.

  12. father time on March 7th, 2018 4:23 pm

    IDIOTS! – all the effort to try and fix something that is not broke – tourism is fine daylight or dark- try doing something meaningful like protecting the kids/slamming texting drivers. Too late to act like they have any smarts.

  13. Rhonda on March 7th, 2018 4:11 pm

    If your work hours stay the same, your night time tv will be harder to watch, especially the late news. It will be at 11pm now..not 10. I lived in eastern time, 2 different times and hated it! Love my CT in Alabama!!

  14. Carolyn on March 7th, 2018 2:53 pm

    This will be difficult for some of the people that I work with for we live in Alabama and work in Florida. This hour difference will cause problems with the people that are putting their children in daycare. Many of them must be at work at 6 and 7 am, and coming from Alabama they will need to leave and hour earlier and daycare may not be open to accommodate them. May force some employees to find a different job in Alabama to accommodate the time difference. So sad!!

  15. Good grief on March 7th, 2018 2:26 pm

    I get a great kick out of all the people complaining. I’m for it literally for the fact that I won’t have to change my sleeping habits. But some of y’all would complain if a million dollars ended up in your checking account that was yours to keep. Remember, life is what you make it, if you want to be happy, look for the positives, otherwise, stay grumpy and disgruntled and continued to live miserably.

  16. retired on March 7th, 2018 2:21 pm

    move it and leave it alone. there are through out the country that live in time zone and work in another, they don’t have a problem.

  17. Big Jim on March 7th, 2018 2:13 pm

    I live in Alabama…does that mean if I move across the line..in a period of 20 years.. I get to live an extra 2 years??

  18. CW on March 7th, 2018 12:41 pm

    I wish Alabama would do the same thing. A lot of people would get outside and be more active during the winter if it didn’t get dark so early. By the time you get off work and get home it’s nearly dark.

  19. Brenda on March 7th, 2018 11:49 am

    I live in Florida and work in Alabama I have to be at work at 4 Am it’s going to be hard to get the time right u

  20. Donna on March 7th, 2018 11:29 am

    I can see it already; people that live in Alabama but go to church in Florida will never get there on time again. Sunday School will be a thing of the past, cause they’ll never get the kids up, dressed and fed and at church by nine o’clock on Sunday morning. You know when the time Springs forward, there are always a few people that show up to church just as the rest of us are coming out because they forgot to set their clocks ahead the night before.

    And doctor appointments. I don’t want to even think about an eight o’clock appointment in Pensacola! I’d have to leave home by five thirty! Part of my family is in the mountain time zone. They could call me in Flomaton at eight in the evening, but if they call the other grandma in McDavid it would be nine o’clock at her house. What a mess.

  21. T allen on March 7th, 2018 11:24 am

    I love the idea.I agree commute may be the only draw back about this change but the extra daylight is going to be awesome. Especially for the children that play sports.I hate when it gets dark so early in the winter. If you must deal with the time change due to commuting for work.Here you go: say you need to be at wrk by 8:00… you usually leave by 7:00. Just leave home at the time you would need to be at wrk..instead of leaving at 7 leave at 8 because it’s only really 7:00 across state line.. you get off at say 5:00 its 6:00 back across the line…easy peasy..no reason to ditch the whole idea because of working across the state line. It just takes some getting used to. If grown people are continuously late for Dr appts. etc and blame it on the time zone change then chances are they already had a problem being punctual to begin with. Yes I am for this change.I hope Gov. Scott passes this one.

  22. Just plain country on March 7th, 2018 11:21 am

    Quote: The idea of year-round daylight-saving time has been promoted as a way to help the state’s tourism industry, as people would be able to stay out later with the additional sunlight.
    People that are on vacation in Florida (tourist) have all the time they need. They can get up early as they want and stay up late as they want. The tourist could care less if we are on daylight saving time or not! They have all the time they need to enjoy themselves in our fair state. The yahoo’s that runs this state is only looking out for themselves. I am going to remember this come election time! I am going to help them have all the time in the world, when they are voted out of office!

  23. Happy on March 7th, 2018 11:13 am

    I am so looking forward to this I hope governor Scott sign it and it passes .

  24. anne 1of2 on March 7th, 2018 10:56 am

    I’m sure the governing gods have their reasons. Let us remember who voted for this and get rid of every one of them for treating us like stupid peons! I have a Master, he does not live on this planet!

  25. Atmore Dude on March 7th, 2018 10:36 am

    @Mic, are you talking about winners or whiners?!

  26. Atmore Dude on March 7th, 2018 10:32 am

    @Anne, your cell phones are programmed on time zone coordinates, your phone carrier is not going to take into consideration the fact that some states decide to “do their own thing”.

    I know there are other states that already have implemented this, but in my opinion this needs to be a FEDERAL decision and not a state-level decision. Either the entire country stays on daylight savings time or the entire country should change time in the Spring and Fall…PERIOD!

  27. Anne on March 7th, 2018 10:09 am

    CELL PHONES —-
    so, now when I go east on Hwy 20 and cross into the Eastern Time Zone my cell phone is adjusted by a tower or some Mo-Jo so it shows the proper time for Eastern Time Zone. Is one hour ahead of time at home in Escambia County. That’s cool.

    When I come home to Escambia County on I-10 driving west and go over the Apalachicola River the cell phone is by some magic changed back into Central Time Zone. That’s cool too.

    IF — and it’s not a done deal yet, but IF this passes and in the winter time if I go from Florida into Alabama or Georgia will my Cell Phone adjust an hour “back” so that it’ll be correct for those states that have not gone on this full time Daylight Savings Time?

    For our good neighbors in Alabama the winter time (on the proposed change) would mean that Tallahassee, Orlando and the Keys would be TWO hours ahead of Mobile or Foley.

  28. CMB on March 7th, 2018 9:30 am

    Please reach out to Florida’s Governor if you are not in favor of this change. I have provided the link below.

    https://www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/email-the-governor/

  29. Come on Man on March 7th, 2018 9:13 am

    Other Americans live and work in different time zones. I don’t think they are smarter than us here in FL/AL . People think, plan, execute. It’s will all workout.

  30. Atmore Dude on March 7th, 2018 8:30 am

    The only people happy about this are the people that don’t travel back and forth (some daily) between Alabama and Florida. It will be especially hard on those that commute to work between AL and FL that have children in school. For example, a person that works in Alabama but lives in Florida with school-age children, the children will be one hour ahead, which could make for interesting check-outs for doctor appointments, extra-curricular activities, etc…but, the folks in Tallahassee could not care less about the people in Northwest Florida.

  31. Mic Hall on March 7th, 2018 8:18 am

    Wow! For all the winners about traveling across time changes get over it.! Do you not realize that a lot of people drive to work or visit across time zone changes all the time? There are a lot of cities right next to each other across time zones.If it is such a burden move to the other time zone.

  32. ProudArmyParent on March 7th, 2018 8:12 am

    If Gov. Scott votes for this idea that will give me one more reason to shout hooray he can’t run for Governor of Florida ever again.

    One more stupid idea to add to his list of dumb moves!

  33. Bill Hart on March 7th, 2018 7:22 am

    HOORAY!!! I hate switching times! and we need the later sun more in the panhandle anyway!

  34. Lyn on March 7th, 2018 7:10 am

    So who is going to provide the additional watches and clocks needed for the people who live in one state and work in a different state? …Like the residents of Baldwin and Escambia Co, Alabama who work in Pensacola? They are going to have to keep up with both times part of the year. Think about the people who live just across the state line in Alabama and come into Pensacola regularly for shopping and doctor appointments.

    Unless the entire nation switches to the same “standard” time, there will be more confusion and stress for people who have to keep up with differences.

  35. Billy Bailey on March 7th, 2018 6:42 am

    I think it’s awesome. It’ll be a little different being I work in Alabama though. I hope Alabama follows if Florida’s footsteps on this one..

  36. Pop on March 7th, 2018 6:04 am

    Boy!! That’ll be a mess for us Alabama residents that have dr appointments in Pensacola. We’ll alaways be a hour late or early. Lol

  37. bigbill1961 on March 7th, 2018 4:12 am

    Don’t we have other things to devote our attention to, like our broken education system? Also, the one hour time difference is not going to be good for those that commute to work from AL to FL and vice versa.