California

What Will Happen To Daylight Saving Time in California?

California voters have decided to give the legislature the ability to change DST

It's an issue that Californians tend to have strong opinions on: Should Daylight Saving Time stay the same or should it go? 

Midterm election projections say that Proposition 7, which gives the Legislature the ability to change daylight saving time (DST), will pass. 

Prop 7 to keep Daylight Saving Time all year in California was voted on just days after citizens set their clocks back an hour for autumn and winter. 

People in San Diego had mixed feelings about the potential switch up. 

"It's sunnier in the morning so it gives me time to get up, walk and exercise," said Nick Paningua in Mission Valley. "It's not as cold." 

Others said they want longer days at the time when they are coming home from work. 

"I hate when it gets dark out early and it feels like midnight at 8 o'clock," said Thomas Bozman, who lives in San Diego. 

But it doesn't necessarily mean DST will be changed immediately. The measure allows a two-thirds vote by the state Legislature to change the current DST schedule, but only if the federal goverment allows it. 

Assuming Congress approves the change, a supermajority (meaning more than 50 percent) in the California Legislature would have to then pass it. 

The measure has no direct fiscal impact on the state because changes to DST would depend on future actions by the Legislature.

Representative Kansen Chu (D-25), a legislative sponsor of the measure, described DST as outdated, even saying that it impacts public health. 

"University medical studies in 2012 found that the risk of heart attacks increases by 10% in the two days following a time change," said Chu.  

Those against it say changing the time would unnecessarily cause chaos. 

Senator Jim Nielsen (R-4) said, "It’s fixing something that is not broken. Our society has acculturated itself to Daylight Savings Time. I think it would create too much confusion to change it again."

DST usually starts in early or mid-March and ends in Early November. 

There are states that have opted out of DST including Arizona and Hawaii. Other American territories like Guam and Puerto Rico also do not observe it. 

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