What States Want To Get Rid Of Daylight Saving Time?

Some lawmakers around the United States are proposing alternatives to daylight saving time, which starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November to make more of the northern hemisphere's evening sunlight. As we brace ourselves to lose an hour of sleep this weekend, here is what we know:

WHO STARTED THIS? America followed Germany's effort to conserve electricity, establishing both time zones and daylight saving time in 1918. U.S. retailers loved the expanded shopping "Fast Time" enabled, but farmer opposition led to its repeal in 1919. "War Time" returned during World War II, but states and cities chose their own time thereafter until the Uniform Time Act of 1966.

WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE: Some California lawmakers would have voters decide whether to abolish DST. Lawmakers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island would shift their states from Eastern to Atlantic time. Lawmakers in Alaska, Florida, Kansas, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wyoming also recently considered changes to DST.

CAN STATES DO THIS? States can exempt themselves from DST — Hawaii and Arizona already do — but changing time zones requires federal approval.

TOUGH CHOICES: Texas House members seemed likely to end DST until they realized this could force Texans to choose between attending church and watching out-of-state football.

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