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US Senate votes unanimously to make daylight savings time permanent (twitter.com)

2191 points by enraged_camel · 1644 days ago · 2218 comments on HN

Article summary

The US Senate has voted unanimously to make daylight saving time permanent, passing the Sunshine Protection Act. This act aims to keep daylight saving time in place throughout the year, rather than switching between standard and daylight saving time. The bill will now need to be passed by the House of Representatives before it can become law. If enacted, states like Arizona or Hawaii can opt out and stay on standard time if they prefer.

Main themes

  • Daylight Saving Time
  • Virtue Signaling
  • Legislative Naming
  • Energy Savings
  • Timekeeping Consistency
  • Potential Drawbacks

What commenters say

  • Some commenters criticize the name of the act as hyperbolic virtue signaling, implying that it is overly dramatic or insincere.
  • Others argue that the term 'virtue signaling' is often used to dismiss genuine attempts to promote positive values or causes.
  • A few commenters point out that the act's name may be seen as tongue-in-cheek or ironic, given the potential drawbacks of permanent daylight saving time.
  • Some argue that the benefits of permanent daylight saving time, such as increased consistency and potential energy savings, outweigh the potential drawbacks.
  • Others express concerns about the impact of permanent daylight saving time on certain groups, such as children who may have to walk to school in the dark.
  • A few commenters note that the idea of permanent daylight saving time is not new and has been tried in other countries, such as Russia, with mixed results.