Last year, the retired IBM employee, introduced AB 807 to eliminate daylight savings and keep clocks on standard time year-round. He modified the bill after complaints from parents who wanted daylight savings time for youth sports. The bill has passed the Assembly but is languishing in the Senate.
The bill would put the question of eliminating the twice-year time change to voters as a constitutional amendment. If it passed, then it would take an act of Congress to allow year-round daylight-saving time. Chu is working with his local Congressman and fellow Democrat Ro Khanna, to set the stage should the bill move ahead in California.
Florida already has sent a similar bill to Gov. Rick Scott’s desk. Both Arizona and Hawaii remain on standard time year-round.
Congress shifted the date to March in the mistaken thought that it would preserve energy. Chu believes that has been debunked and the twice-yearly shifts are detrimental to our health and well-being. Studies have indicated that the changes, particularly springing ahead in March, cause more traffic accident and heart attacks.
This week’s major storms coupled with the heavy rain and snowfall earlier this month brought back memories of my days covering the valley sports scene. When March dawned, it was time for the basketball playoffs and the Tournament of Champions at the Coliseum Arena (now Oracle). The tournament pre-dated the North Coast Section playoffs that now dominate the scene—it was the postseason event.
The only factor we could count on—seemingly every year—was using an umbrella walking to and from the Arena. Rainfall routinely accompanied the tournament. So, it is this March as well as the storms have added substantially to a snowpack that was woefully low after a record-dry January and a February that wasn’t much better.
If the Thursday forecast holds, we likely will be seeing snow on Mt. Diablo and the hills to the south by the weekend.
