LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The time is winding down before we all have to turn our clocks again.
On March 10, daylight saving time will be in full effect and we will have to move our clocks forward an hour at 2 a.m. as we "spring forward."
Over the years, state legislators have grappled with the idea of whether to change the clocks permanently or not. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), state legislatures have considered at least 550 bills and resolutions in recent years to establish permanent daylight saving time -- as soon as federal law allows it.
The Uniform Time Act of 1966 mandates the use of daylight saving time throughout the country. It allows states to opt out and exempt themselves from the practice to stay on standard time year-round, but it doesn't allow states to permanently establish daylight saving time.
Over the last five years, NCSL said 19 states have passed legislation or resolutions supporting year-round daylight saving time. One of those states was Kentucky.
So, where do Kentucky and Indiana stand now in the effort to make daylight saving time permanent?
Indiana is split up in two time zones. Most of Indiana is on Eastern Standard Time, except for 12 counties in northwest and southwest Indiana that have remained or changed to Central Standard Time.
According to the Indiana General Assembly, a bill exempting Indiana from daylight saving time was introduced into the assembly for the 2024 session.
Prior to this, there was legislation approved by the Senate and sent to the house for the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021; however, it died at the house and was not voted on. Therefore, the Indiana time zone stayed the same.
On the flip side, in 2022, the Kentucky House of Representatives urged Congress and the President by resolution to permanently adopt daylight saving time by passing the Sunshine Protection Act. This effort was unsuccessful.
The following year, a measure was introduced in the Kentucky House that to make daylight saving time year-round if the Uniform Time Act of 1966, or the Standard Time Act of 1918, are amended by Congress. However, this also failed.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
GET Videos on Demand | Watch WHAS11 on Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV