It’s that time of year again. Or rather, it was. Daylight Saving Time just ended, and if you didn’t even notice, you can thank your phone for doing the heavy lifting.
But while the clocks quietly adjusted themselves, the public’s opinion was anything but silent: Americans are officially over it.
A new poll shows that 54% of Americans want to stop changing the clocks altogether. Only 40% still want to keep it, and enthusiasm for the twice-a-year ritual is at an all-time low. In fact, just a few weeks ago, another poll showed support for the current system was down to a measly 12%.
This isn’t just grumbling over losing an hour of sleep in the spring. The debate over Daylight Saving Time has become one of those rare topics with bipartisan agreement in Congress.
Lawmakers on both sides have supported ditching the switch. A few bills, like the “Sunshine Protection Act,” have been floated to make DST permanent, but so far, nothing’s made it through the gridlock.
One big sticking point? If we get rid of the clock change, do we keep the later “summer” hours or go with the earlier “standard” ones? The latest numbers show 56% of Americans would prefer to stick with Daylight Saving Time year-round, while 42% want Standard Time to become permanent.
And no, letting each state pick its own system isn’t the answer. That’s a recipe for chaos. Imagine road-tripping across four time zones without ever leaving the Midwest.
The federal government has the power to settle this, and with Republicans currently in control, they could technically make it happen. In fact, Republican Senator Rick Scott tried to push it forward last month. His proposal had support from both parties and even a presidential nod from Donald Trump. But Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton threw cold water on the plan, warning that permanent DST would mean darker mornings, which he argues would be especially rough on school kids and early-shift workers.
So for now, we’re still stuck with the clock switch. But if public opinion keeps trending this way, don’t be surprised if the next time you “fall back,” it’s for the last time.