Can we all please agree on this one?
BOISE — Idaho’s 10 northern-most counties would remain on daylight saving time all year, under legislation that passed the House on a 68-1 vote Tuesday.
The bill previously passed the Senate 33-0. It now goes to the governor for his decision.
The legislation comes in response to Washington state’s decision last year to remain on daylight saving time year-round.
That proposal requires congressional approval before it takes effects.
If Congress signs off on the move, the 10 Idaho counties in the Pacific time zone would either have to do the same or there would be a one-hour time difference between Lewiston and Clarkston, Moscow and Pullman, and Coeur d’Alene and Spokane, during the winter months.The Idaho bill was sponsored by Sen. Steve Vick, R-Dalton Gardens. Co-sponsors include Rep. Bill Goesling, R-Moscow; Rep. Caroline Troy, R-Genesee; Sen. Dan Johnson, R-Lewiston; and Sen. Carl Crabtree, R-Grangeville.
Goesling, who carried the bill on the House floor Tuesday, noted that Oregon followed Washington’s lead last year.“Similar measures are pending in California and Utah,” he said.
States have increasingly looked askance at daylight aaving time. Numerous studies suggest the twice-yearly time shifts have negative health effects on humans and livestock, including an increased risk of heart attacks and increase in vehicle accidents.
Rep. Thyra Stevenson, R-Nezperce, was the only lawmaker to oppose the bill. She said she received quite a bit of comment on the proposal, both for and against. The most common request, though, was for all of Idaho to be on the same time zone.