Bill To Eliminate Wyoming Time Change Loses In Committee
A bill in the Wyoming Legislature that would have put the state on Daylight Saving Time year around was voted down in a legislative committee this week,
House Bill 49, sponsored by Rep, Dan Laursen (R-Powell) would have kept the state on the same time all year long.
Supporters of doing away with the time change note studies showing auto and workplace accidents tend to spike around the spring and fall time changes as people re-adjust to new work and sleep schedules.
But those who like the twice-annual time changes say they are an established tradition that people are used to. Some supporters of the current time changes also say they help farmers by adjusting the clock to the hours when they are most likely to be working in the fields.
The MInerals, Business and Economic Development Committee on Wednesday voted down HB 49 by a 6-2 margin. Reps. Crank, Eyre, Gray, Greear, Henderson and Loucks all voted no. Reps. Byrd and Lindholm voted in favor of the bill.
Laursen in 2015 put forward a bill to keep the state on standard time all year. That bill failed to make it out of committee as well.