(WKYT) – The U.S. House voted this week on a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, ending the twice-yearly clock change in the spring and fall.
The proposal has drawn mixed reactions from Kentucky parents, educators, lawmakers and health professionals.
Parents and educators split on the idea
Megan Jenkins, a mother of two school-aged boys, said she supports the change.
“From a parent perspective I feel like it would be easier — I do understand that bus stops in the morning it’s going to be a little darker — but the transition from one time of day to another it seems to put my two boys in kind of a tailspin,” Jenkins said.
April Ratliff, an instructional coach in Rowan County, said she has mixed feelings.
“I think for the kids I think it would be better to keep it the way it is, but from an adult perspective I think it could be changed to all remain the same,” Ratliff said.
Ratliff raised safety concerns about permanent daylight saving time during winter months. Under the proposal, sunrise in Lexington in January would fall just before 9 a.m., leaving students heading to bus stops or walking to school in darkness.
Kentucky lawmaker pushes alternative
State Rep. Steven Doan, R-House District 69, has filed a bill in the Kentucky Legislature that would place the commonwealth on permanent standard time — which would result in earlier winter sunrises compared to the proposed permanent daylight saving time schedule. Doan has filed the bill four times without it gaining traction. He said the state being divided into two time zones is a factor.
“If you have kids who walk to school they are going to be walking to school in the dark, you are going to be dropping them off in the dark, and so really we should take a pause here and look at our children and their educational outcomes,” Doan said.
Education and mental health perspectives
Nancy Hutchinson, CEO of the Kentucky Education Development Corporation, attended an educational conference in California where the topic was discussed. She said extended evening daylight carries benefits for families and students.
“We can play sports longer — we can get out of school and practice — those types of things are very important as well and it’s easier on the families when it’s lighter longer,” Hutchinson said.
Psychotherapist Dr. James Blake, who gives presentations on winter seasonal depression, said more sunlight at the end of a winter day could have mental health benefits.
“If this passes I would very much support a large scale study of whether or not there is a correlation with increased daylight time at the end of the day and less depression,” Blake said.