LANSING, MI — Michigan would exempt itself from Daylight Saving Time under a bill introduced in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
This year, Daylight Saving Time will start on March 12 and end on Nov. 5.
But HB 4011, sponsored by Rep. Peter Lucido, R-Shelby Twp., would opt Michigan out of daylight savings time. It would also put the entire state on Eastern Standard Time, including the four counties in the Upper Peninsula that are currently in the Central time zone.
Lucido said the concept of Daylight Saving Time was to benefit long-ago farmers. Now, he said, the studies on things like energy savings, school performance, and job-related injuries just don’t back up the need for it.
“No one has any logic as to why we’re doing this, but we’re doing it,” Lucido said.
A similar bill was introduced last session, but did not pass. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 13 states were considering bills on the topic of daylight savings time in 2016. Hawaii and Arizona are the only states to not participate in Daylight Savings Time.
Lucido said there wasn’t evidence to support continuing the practice.
“So let’s just either fall back and stay there or spring forward and stay there, and never have to go change a clock, never go have to go change a watch, never have to worry about what time this clock says and what time that clock says,” Lucido said.
“Everybody will just go ahead and enjoy the benefits, because time is money. ”
Rep. Scott Dianda, D-Calumet, was incorrectly identified as a co-sponsor of the bill by some media outlets. He said he actually had concerns over the portion that converting the whole state to Eastern Standard Time.
“I am concerned about this bill because of the impact it would have on certain communities in House District 110 that are in the Central Time Zone,” Dianda said.
