Will California End Daylight Saving Time?

If you hate daylight saving time, you're not alone. Thanks to a proposed bill, it could soon go away entirely, at least for California residents. If the bill is passed and approved by voters, the state could join Hawaii and most of Arizona in choosing not to observe daylight saving time. California Assemblyman Kansen Chu (D-San Jose) told The Sacramento Bee that he believes daylight saving time doesn't actually achieve its intended purpose — limiting energy use — and that the practice really isn't worth the trouble it causes. If the bill is successful, this weekend's daylight saving time "spring forward" could be one of the last for California residents. (Sorry, Ben Franklin.) Critics of the daylight saving time say that their distaste of the practice is about more than just the hassle of changing your alarm clock's time and adjusting your sleep schedule — the change in clocks has been linked to increased workplace accidents, a rise in heart attacks, and increased numbers of car accidents. "I heard some complaints last year from some of the senior citizens (in my district) and their care providers, who say this one-hour difference really impacted their lives," Chu told The Sacramento Bee. Chu's measure, Assembly Bill 2496, would need the sign off from the California Legislature, the governor, and California voters in order to take effect. He told The Bee that he's spoken with residents who are thrilled about the proposal and would support the change. California isn't alone, either — Alaska has a similar proposal to end daylight saving time. And some New England states are trying to leave the Eastern time zone entirely and switch to the Atlantic time zone, The Associated Press reports. "I cannot believe that anybody would like to do this fall backward, spring forward thing twice a year," Chu told The Sacramento Bee, adding that California "should also be leading this change."