ALABAMA: Don’t believe the rumors. Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday, Nov. 1, and Alabamians will be setting their clocks back an hour. No matter what you may have heard about the time staying put, it WILL change this weekend.
The confusion centers on the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent. The U.S. House passed the bill in July, and plenty of people took that to mean the debate was settled. It isn’t. The Senate has not voted on it, which means it is not law.
For a bill to get there, it must pass through both the House and the Senate. Then it heads to the president’s desk, where it becomes law if the president signs it, if the president lets 10 days pass without acting while Congress is in session, or if Congress overrides a veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers. Right now, it hasn’t made it past step one.
So for now, “fall back” happens at 2 a.m. Sunday, and everyone gets an extra hour of sleep.
But the bigger question is still wide open: Is the time change worth keeping at all? Supporters of permanent daylight saving time say they’d gladly trade the twice-a-year clock shuffle for more sunlight in the evening. Others warn that it would mean darker winter mornings, with kids waiting for the school bus and commuters heading out before sunrise.
Which side are you on? Would you rather have brighter winter mornings or longer summer evenings? Either way, there are trade-offs, and for now, the decision is out of our hands.
