Letter to the Editor - October 31, 2019

Fall back! Spring forward! Why is this still a thing?

There is a national movement called #locktheclock. Currently 40 states are debating the time change issue. It’s about a 50/50 split among the states favoring full-time daylight saving time or full-time standard time.

I have been working on this issue for a while now. Polls show that a majority of people prefer to stop changing their clocks. That is why I introduced Senate bill 11. My bill will keep South Carolina on daylight saving time. The Senate unanimously passed my bill in March. The House is set to debate it when they return in January. When the bill passes, we will still have to wait on Congress to act. Federal law will not allow a state to remain on daylight saving time year round. That is why it will literally take an act of Congress for South Carolina to make the switch. I hope we will join with Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee, Oregon, Delaware, Utah, Maine and Washington in passing legislation requesting the permanent time change to daylight saving time. #ditchtheswitch

Harvey S. Peeler, Jr.,

President of the South Carolina Senate Senate District 14 (Cherokee, Spartanburg, Union and York counties)