TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — It is that time of year again when we turn back the clocks an hour and enter Eastern Standard Time (EST).
This means brighter mornings and earlier, darker evenings. On the plus side, you gain an extra hour of sleep tonight!
Also, it’s a good reminder to check your smoke alarms and change batteries if needed. If you need help remembering which way to turn the clocks, just think, “Spring ahead, Fall back.”
Some might say that daylight saving time all started because farmers needed extra morning sun for their crops, but that is a myth. The practice began during World War I to ration energy and fuel consumption.
It was not until 1966 that Congress signed the Uniform Time Act into law, which governs the time system we use now. The only two states to opt out were Arizona and Hawaii.
Some states have considered or passed legislation to shift to permanent daylight saving time or permanent standard time. In 2022, the Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which would move the US to permanent daylight saving time. But the bill has not received a vote in the House of Representatives.