Daylight Saving Time begins overnight Saturday. Like clockwork, Oregonians and Washingtonians are asking this week why we’re still going through the disruptive time change ritual.
It's now been four years since the Oregon and Washington legislatures voted to ditch the twice-yearly time switch and move onto daylight saving time permanently. The Idaho Legislature followed with a vote to keep North Idaho in sync with whatever neighboring Washington does.
But the problem remains: Congress has to change federal law for states to adopt year-round DST. Members of Congress from Florida with support from Oregon’s Ron Wyden (D) and Washington’s Patty Murray (D) this month reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act.
But it faces roadblocks as before: the issue is a low priority in Congress and there’s indecision about whether year-round standard or daylight time would be the better way to “ditch the switch.”
Commerce Committee chairs in the House and Senate who both hail from Washington state now hold the keys.
But Sen. Maria Cantwell (D) and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) are noncommittal.
