WAPT-TV Jackson
Sunshine Protection Act: Here's what could change if approved
Some say the time change is disruptive, while others are happy for the daylight
By Christana Kay, Meteorologist
JACKSON, Miss. — People are still adjusting to the one-hour time change, but one bill could remove the time shift altogether.
After daylight saving time came to an end Sunday, people have to re-adjust for four months before the time changes again.
For some, this is the tell-tale sign of the holidays, but for others, it's a pain. Dr. Catherine Phillippi, a pediatrician at TrustCare Kids, believes the time change brings an increase in anxiety and depression, as well as a disruption in sleep patterns.
With the sun setting sooner during standard time, people are not able to enjoy their day as much.
"I think I’m less likely, as well as a lot of my patients are less likely to engage in activities in the evening when it's already dark," Phillippi said.
Since 2018, the Sunshine Protection Act has been in and out of the Senate three times. There have been several debates over the bill concerning the effects on human health, traffic accidents and whether it is better to have more sunlight in the morning or in the evening.
In March, the bill passed for the first time in the Senate and has been sitting in the House ever since. The bill, if passed, would make daylight saving time permanent for most states, including Mississippi, starting Nov. 5, 2023.
U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican from Mississippi, is one of the 18 co-sponsors of the bill.
"Being a farm girl, I love daylight saving time," Hyde-Smith said. "You can continue to extend that day. People just function better when they have more daylight to get things done."
So, if this bill were to pass, what could happen? According to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture, the state has just under 35,000 farms and is a major contributor to poultry, soybeans, cotton, cattle and sweet potatoes, to name a few.
"For me, as far as the clock goes with DST, farmers are typically working during the daylight hours. We are more worried about the weather than what the clock says," said Brian Rhodes, a Rankin County farmer.
The biggest change would be the sunrise and sunset. There would be an extra hour of daylight in the afternoon. However, sunrise would be delayed. Take Jackson, for example. On Jan. 1, the standard sunrise is at 7:01 a.m. If daylight saving time were to become permanent, sunrise on Jan. 1 would be 8:01 a.m. Some areas across the country could have a sunrise closer to 9 a.m. local time.
This could play a major effect on morning commutes and accidents on the roads. According to Drivers-Ed.com, the most dangerous time of travel in the winter is from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. If daylight saving time were to remain permanent, there could be a decrease in wrecks in the evening, but an increase during the morning commute.
Many people, however, are more focused on the extra hour of evening daylight.
"I don't know that one extra hour of darkness in the morning would make as much of a difference negatively, as having an extra hour would affect them positively in the evening," Phillippi said.