Oklahomans 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. It would lock Oklahoma into permanent Daylight Saving Time. The bill was authored by Sen. Blake Stephens, R-Tahlequah, and it would become law if federal legislation is passed to allow states to choose whether they observe DST.
The U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act in 2022, which would establish a permanent DST for the United States. Next, the House will consider the bill before the Oklahoma law can go into effect.
Proponents say eliminating the time change would provide more daylight hours in the evening and avoid the frustrations that come with adjusting the clock 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 rejects the Sunshine Protection Act.
