Oklahoma might not have to adjust their clocks in the spring and fall if a new state Senate bill is approved by the federal government. On April 26, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 1200 into law that would lock Oklahoma into permanent Daylight Savings Time. The bill was authored by Sen. Blake Stephens, R-Tahlequah, and would become law if federal legislation is passed to allow states to choose whether or not they observe DST.
The U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act in 2022, which would establish a permanent DST for the U.S. Next, the House will consider the bill before the Oklahoma bill can go into effect. Many have advocated for locking the clock in the past to provide more daylight hours in the evening and avoid the frustrations that come with adjusting to the clock being off by an hour twice a year.
Other states that have signed similar bills to end DST include: Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont and Oregon. For now, those bills are in limbo until the U.S. House passes or fails the Sunshine Protection Act.
Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].
