No Daylight Saving Time in Arkansas?

No Daylight Saving Time in Arkansas?

Proposed bill would nix the ‘ spring forward, fall back’ routine statewide

news@theeveningtimes.com

In less than two weeks, everyone in the Natural State will lose an hour of sleep as Daylight Saving Time kicks in at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 10, for what could be the last time.

A new bill in Arkansas could eliminate Daylight Savings Time altogether. House Bill 1368, filed by State Rep. Sarah Capp, would put the state on standard time permanently.

Capp said she filed the bill because “someone always asks about the requirements for the time change and expresses the frustration with having to switch clocks back and forth twice a year.”

Glen Redding, Boone County Justice of the Peace, said he opposes the bill, implying that other states may not follow through with Arkansas if the bill passes.

“Are they going to go with it?” Redding asked. “If they don’t go with it and I drive 30 miles to Branson, I’m in a different time zone. And I think that’s ridiculous.”

“I think it’s a ridiculous bill to try to pass to a state that has so much farming,” Redding said. “Those farmers and cattlemen, they want that daylight.”

Robert Hathaway, Boone County Judge, said he’s ok with the state being on daylight saving time year round, however, it’s not a possibility right now.

“Federal government will not allow us to go with daylight saving time year round. However they will allow standard time year round,” Redding said. “And I don’t understand the reasoning behind that. And I think if we can’t continue with daylight saving time, it would hurt our cattlemen, and therefore I’m against the bill.”

The bill will be discussed tomorrow at 10 a.m., at a meeting of the House State Agencies and Government Affairs Committee.

By the Evening Times News Staff