Ugh.
Rep. Lyle Larson
On Tuesday, The Texas House passed the first proposal in a two-part legislative plan that would kill twice-a-year time changes and let voters decide in November on Texas’ permanent time. The measure passed on a 133-9 vote.
Proposals to end the back-and-forth time changes have often failed because Texas lawmakers can’t agree on what the state’s permanent time should be: year-round daylight saving time or year-round standard time. Daylight saving time would provide an extra hour of sunlight in the evening whereas standard time would offer an extra hour of sunlight in the morning.
“We shouldn’t be subject to our own prejudice or preference on this. We should allow voters to make the decision,” said San Antonio state Rep. Lyle Larson, the author of the resolution. “I think it’s time to allow the voters to make the decision on whether they want standard time or daylight saving time.”
If both parts of the legislative package are approved by the Legislature, then Texans will see two propositions on their ballots this November.
The first proposition — which would be added by House Joint Resolution 117 — would ask whether a referendum on daylight saving time may take place. The Texas Constitution does not permit a statewide referendum on the issue, so this first question would be necessary for voters to weigh in on the second proposition.
The House will debate the second part of the legislative package on Wednesday, which would prompt the second ballot question: voters’ preference between year-round daylight saving time or year-round standard time.
No matter what Texans pick, the legislative package would nix the current twice-a-year time changes.
While voters would get to weigh in and decide the future of Texas time, there’s a key caveat. If they chose year-round daylight saving time, the state of Texas would need federal approval for this decision — but pending legislation in Congress could squash the need for that approval.
See here for the background. I’m a little confused here – if the first proposition fails, what exactly happens? Does the vote on the second proposition matter in that event, and what if anything changes? I mean, I fully expect that first proposition to pass – lots of people have an irrational hatred of the system, and I can’t envision a pro-DST group springing up to urge its retention – but a clearer explanation would have been nice. Whatever does happen, I wonder how long it will take before people start complaining about whichever system we do adopt. One way or the other, I hate this already.
UPDATE: For clarity, the status quo is not an option.
The ballot language on whether Texas should go year-round to either Daylight Saving Time or Standard Time won tentative approval from the House Wednesday — but not before a vigorous tussle between two experienced and influential Republicans.
If Rep. Lyle Larson’s proposed referendum on time wins a final House nod and then the Senate’s blessing, state voters on Nov. 5 would face this question on the ballot:
“Which of the following do you prefer? Observing standard time year-round. Observing daylight saving time year-round.”
On Wednesday, veteran GOP Rep. John Smithee of Amarillo tried to amend Larson’s enabling bill that would spell out the fine points of how the referendum would be conducted.
Under Smithee’s proposal, voters would be given a third option — as he said, “Leave things as they are, where we switch.”
[…]
On an unrecorded “division vote,” the House shot down Smithee’s attempt to give voters the option of keeping the status quo, 72-70.
Terrible, just terrible. It will be up to the Senate once this gets final approval on Thursday. Call your Senator and demand that if we must vote on this stupid thing, we be given the option of keeping things as they are. As it is, this isn’t a choice at all.
Naturally, the constituency for leaving it “as is” is disrespected and disregarded. I will vote against the first proposition and vote for year-round Standard Time on the second. Gosh, is this how ranked-choice voting sneaks into Texas?
The only change Texas can make according to the Uniform Time Act of 1966 is year around Standard Time. It would be interesting to see what happens if the voters approve year round daylight saving time.
The exciting part will be the portion of the year when Texas is in a different time zone from Oklahoma and Louisiana.
Our sunrise-to-sunset time doesn’t vary so much between solstices for daylight savings time to do much more than screw with sleep schedules and throw our expectations about the part of the day that will be well lit into confusion.
Well, partially agree with Kuff here. Yes, choice one should be status quo. Personally, I’d like to see us revert back to year round standard time. If the government can arbitrarily change something as basic as what time it is, what other nefarious stuff is that same government capable of?
[tinfoil hat-out]
I’m confused about why you’re upset that the second question has no status quo option. The first question is precisely that.