If you live within the City of Powell, you’re probably getting tired of setting your clocks. After two planned power outages in the past week, city residents awoke to blinking lights on digital clocks on appliances and other electronics. Just about everyone else around the country will join Powellites in resetting their clocks this weekend, as daylight saving time ends Sunday.

If Wyoming lawmakers had their way, Cowboy State residents would not join the tradition of falling back in November and springing forward in March. In a decision we applaud, the Wyoming Legislature supported a measure in 2020 to move toward permanent daylight saving time.

Rep. Dan Laursen, R-Powell, had proposed multiple bills over the years to end the twice-a-year routine of switching the clocks. Laursen has said time changes are a difficult adjustment for workers, the elderly, children and even pets.

With Gov. Mark Gordon’s signature in 2020, the legislation became official — but until neighboring states follow suit and Congress allows states to switch to permanent daylight saving time, nothing will change (except the clocks).

Wyoming is far from alone in its effort. In the past four years, 19 states — including Montana, Idaho, Utah and Washington — have passed legislation or resolutions to allow year-round daylight saving time. 

At the federal level, a group of Republicans and Democrats in Congress — who are rarely on the same page — agree that Americans in every state should stop switching the clocks.

“The call to end the antiquated practice of clock changing is gaining momentum throughout the nation,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, noting that most Americans already follow daylight saving time for eight months out of the year.

Earlier this year, Sen. Rubio and a bipartisan group of 14 senators reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent across the country.

The senators cite many of the same reasons as state lawmakers, including studies that have shown the time changes have negative impacts.

While the time change was intended to save energy by giving more daylight hours, some studies have shown that any energy savings are minuscule at best. However, the senators co-sponsoring the Sunshine Protection Act say moving toward daylight saving time year-round could:

• Reduce the risk for various health conditions, including cardiac issues, stroke and seasonal depression.

• Reduce vehicle crashes and accidents involving pedestrians, as aligning daylight hours to drivers’ typical work hours increases visibility, according to the American Journal of Public Health and the Journal of Safety Research. In addition, it could lead to an 8 to 11% reduction in the number of vehicle collisions with wildlife by shifting normal traffic patterns to an hour off from nocturnal animals’ behavior.

• Increase physical fitness among children and adults. One study found that daylight saving time increased pedestrian activity by 62% and cyclist activity by 38%, due to the additional daylight.

• Benefit the agricultural economy, which is disproportionately disrupted by the biannual time changes, impacting farmers’ schedules and their supply chain partners.

Though Americans have faithfully followed the twice-a-year changes like, well, clockwork, it’s time for Congress to join states in the growing movement to stop changing the clocks.