The Daviess County Council may not have the authority to make changes in the way the county observes time, but they can make the preferences known. They did that on Tuesday by passing a motion saying they would prefer the county go on Eastern Standard time and stay there year round.
Councilman Mike Sprinkle brought up the time issue after Indiana Senator Eric Bassler (R)-Washington said he was introducing a bill in the general assembly to move the state from Eastern to Central Time.
“I have been quizzing some people as I have run in different circles trying to get opinions from other folks,” said Sprinkle. “There are a few who say they like the central time zone, but it has been overwhelmingly from the people I have talked to prefer the Eastern time zone and it’s almost 100 percent people do not want to run their clocks back and forth. The issue I have been told is do away with the daylight saving time.”
Bassler said he introduced his measure in a response to the deaths of three children at a bus stop in northern Indiana. The children were hit and killed while trying to board the bus in the dark.
“Had we not been of daylight saving time, those children who were killed getting on a school bus would have been loading in the daylight instead of the dark,” said Sprinkle.
“It will be a hard thing to get done,” added Daviess County Council President Mike Myers. “At least he’s (Bassler) raising the discussion. Hopefully, we are far enough into daylight saving time where people will see it is not a good thing.”
Bassler said his intent was never to do away with daylight saving time. He was looking to shift time zones and put the entire state on Central time. “There was no mention of Daylight Saving in my bill,” he said. “It is interesting. The time proposal has generated a fair amount of attention, including from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. I have received a lot of comments. I’d say less than one-third make any mention of daylight saving.”
Daylight saving was a long running fight in the Indiana legislature. It received a big push from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce before being approved under the Mitch Daniels administration.
“I know the Indianapolis folks pushed it for years and unfortunately they finally got it,” said Myers. “I wish we could switch back. I know I have been unhappy with being on Eastern time and observing daylight saving. Everybody talks about the extra hour in the summer. What that means to me is my air conditioner is pumping away at 90 degree temperatures at 9 o’clock at night.”
“If you remember, when daylight saving was adopted it was by one vote,” said Sprinkle. “It was a split. It was not like the whole state wanted this.”
Apparently it was not something that Daviess County officials wanted. Council members unanimously voted to change to Eastern Standard Time year round.
“I never wanted to switch in the first place,” said Myers. “I think daylight saving time is an issue whose time has passed. I don’t think it is needed anymore. There are studies out there than show that. I don’t like switching my clock in the spring and fall. I don’t care what Indianapolis says. I am worried about Daviess County and myself and I don’t like it and never have.”
Bassler said he may reconsider the approach on his time bill.
“I have been having my office try and keep track of the calls on whether they favor Eastern or Central time,” he said. “I may have them also tally how many want to get rid of daylight saving.”