Falling Back: Rep. Russ Diamond wants to end Daylight Saving Time in Pennsylvania

A Lebanon County Republican wants Pennsylvania to fall back — or is it spring forward? — from the twice yearly time changes that have been the norm for the past century.

State Rep. Russ Diamond circulated a co-sponsorship memo Monday looking for allies to eliminate the custom, first implemented in 1918. At the time, proponents said it would save energy by shifting more activities into the day during summer.

“Changing clocks twice every year simply because ‘we’ve always done it that way’ is not enough reason to continue the practice,” Diamond wrote in his memo.

He also cites research that shows lost productivity and other downsides from the “government-mandated interruptions of natural biological rhythms.”

A 2008 study from the National Bureau of Economic Research looked at the switch to daylight saving in Indiana and found that energy use actually increased by 1 percent. This was due to increased demand for heating and cooling during the day, according to the study.

Stop it.

If anything, ditch Standard. https://t.co/G0qQ8W7wBj

— Jeff Dewees (@Jeff_Dewees) March 4, 2019

Amen! https://t.co/7P4HKNo2Oi

— Rep. Seth Grove – “the Architect” (@RepGrove) March 4, 2019

You could change times twice between Baltimore and NYC! (Going mostly north and south) https://t.co/iPu6fE5zvy

— Dan Vock (@danvock) March 4, 2019

All but two states — Arizona and Hawaii — do not observe daylight saving time. Under federal law, each state can choose whether or not it will follow the rule.

At least three — Nevada, Florida and California — have approved permanent daylight saving time, subject to changes to federal law.