No opposition heard on bill to end Nevada’s time change bump
CARSON CITY — A measure seeking to jump Nevada forward to daylight saving time and then keep the state an hour ahead in perpetuity saw no opposition Wednesday at a hearing in a Senate committee.
Assembly Joint Resolution 4, which passed the Assembly on a 30-12 vote earlier this month, would ask Congress to give the Nevada Legislature the power to make permanent the jump forward to daylight saving time that now occurs each spring.
Assemblyman Chris Edwards, R-Las Vegas, sponsored the proposal, which he said would keep Nevada on Pacific Daylight Time year round instead of switching back to standard time each fall. The permanent leap forward would provide the extra hour of light in the evening in winter, which most people seem to prefer, he said.
If Congress gives its permission, then the Nevada Legislature in 2017 could complete the time change, Edwards said.
The Senate Legislative Operations and Elections Committee heard the measure but took no action.
Sen. James Settelmeyer, R-Minden, said approving the resolution would just move the process along for further discussion in the next session if Congress gave its approval.
Edwards said in previous testimony that the time change twice each year causes a number of problems, from disrupting sleep schedules to contributing to an increase in heart attacks for seniors and more auto accidents when the clocks are first moved forward by an hour each spring.
The resolution was supported by Elko resident Janine Hansen, who said she suffers from the condition called seasonal affective disorder during winter when there is less sunlight. Losing the hour of daylight in the evening when the clocks turn back makes the situation worse, she said.
Pat Sanderson, representing the Nevada Alliance for Retired Americans, was neutral on the proposal but suggested that the potential effects on the gaming industry be studied before such a change is made.
Moving Nevada permanently into daylight saving time would mean an hour’s time difference with California for several winter months each year.
Assemblyman Derek Armstrong, R-Henderson, who also supports the measure, said in testimony in the Assembly that having Nevada’s time be one hour later in the winter months when California went back to Pacific Standard Time could actually be a benefit. Travelers returning to California from a trip to Las Vegas might actually spend an extra night knowing they would have an extra hour to get home, he said.
Contact Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3900. Find him on Twitter: @seanw801.
