LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Twice a year, Nevada residents complain about having to either spring forward or fall back.
Calls for an end to changing the clocks are legion, but thus far, neither Congress nor the state Legislature has taken any action that would keep us from spending time changing the time on clocks, watches and bedside alarms.
But that may be changing soon.
First, a little history: Since 1995, there have been at least six bills or resolutions introduced in Carson City to either stop changing the clocks entirely, or to encourage Congress to abolish twice-annual clock changing.
Those efforts have gone nowhere, however.
The most recent bill, introduced in 2021, would have allowed Nevada to change its clocks if neighboring California did so.
Why California? Because most of our drive in tourists come from the Golden State, and we don't want them to have to gain or lose an hour of time when they come to visit for the weekend.
Now, California is considering a pair of bills — one in the state Assembly and the other in the state Senate — that would allow California to switch to standard time. That's part of a similar move by lawmakers in other western states, including Oregon and Idaho.
In 2018, California voters passed Proposition 7, a measure that allowed the state — with a two-thirds majority vote — to switch to standard time permanently, assuming the bill to do so was signed by the governor. Thus far, however, no action has been taken.
A change in California would almost certainly trigger one here in Nevada.
The only author of the 2021 Nevada time-change bill — Dr. Robin Titus, a former assemblywoman who is now the minority leader in the state Senate — says she will definitely reintroduce a bill to stop clock changing when the Legislature convenes again in 2025.
And, she said in an email to KTNV Channel 13, she'll do it no matter what action California lawmakers take. "I feel it is too important to be tied to what CA does," Titus wrote.
In the meantime, Congress has not given up on the issue. U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., has a proposal with fellow Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida to do away with time changes nationwide.
"Let's start the dialogue," Lankford said in a CNN interview. "I know there's arguments between north and south whether we should have standard time, daylight savings time, where it should be. My issue is lock the clock. Let's not have the back and forth on this."
Lankford said the issue has riled up constituents, recalling marching in a Veterans Day parade when an elderly vet walked up to him and said, "Before I die, would you end daylight saving time?"
Some states — such as Arizona and Hawaii — have already opted out of observing daylight saving time, sticking with standard time year-round.
In order to switch to daylight time permanently, however, Congress would have to act. Nevada Reps. Mark Amodei, a Republican, and Dina Titus, a Democrat, have both expressed support in the past for ending the twice annual clock switching.
