Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) has introduced two bills: one will keep daylight saving time year round nationally, and the other will keep it just in the state of Florida.
Sen. Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that he’s filed legislation to allow not just Florida but the entire nation to save daylight all year round.The Florida Republican says he’s sponsoring the “Sunshine Protection Act” as well as the “Sunshine State Act” because they’ll help the nation’s economy.Rubio took this initiative a week after Florida’s Legislature voted to make their state the nation’s first to adopt year-round daylight saving time statewide — a change that can’t take effect unless Congress changes federal law.The first bill would make daylight saving time permanent across the country. Currently, it runs from March to November, forcing most Americans to set their clocks ahead one hour in the spring and then turn them back an hour in the fall.The second bill would let Florida remain in daylight saving time on its own, even if the rest of the nation returns to standard time.”Reflecting the will of the Sunshine State, I proudly introduce these bills that would approve Florida’s will and, if made nationally, would also ensure Florida is not out of sync with the rest of the nation,” Rubio said in a statement.Rubio said keeping clocks the same year round would eliminate an economic decline that sets in every November, and predicted that later sunsets could lead to fewer robberies and car crashes.The Florida PTA has asked Gov. Rick Scott to veto the legislature’s bill, saying the change would force thousands more children to travel to school in the dark for a longer period each year.
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