Daylight saving will continue to see the light of day.
There is not enough time for the legislative measure that could have ended daylight saving time in Oregon to become law this legislative session.
Earlier this week, Senate Bill 1548, the measure that would have put Oregon on permanent standard time, narrowly passed the state Senate. But on Tuesday, Democratic House Speaker Daniel Rayfield’s office confirmed the bill was dead for this session.
“Given the shortened timeline and the queue of critical bills we’re still working through, we aren’t able to give enough time to considering the merits of the bill in the time we have left this session,” Hazel Tylinski, a spokeswoman for the speaker’s office said. The Oregonian/OregonLive first reported the bill’s death.
FILE: Dave LeMote uses an wrench to adjust hands on a stainless steel tower clock at Electric Time Company, Inc. in Medfield, Mass., in this March 7, 2014 photo.
Elise Amendola / AP
In 2019, a measure to put Oregon on permanent daylight saving time passed both chambers of the Legislature, but that change required Congressional action. Rather than wait for Congress to act, lawmakers pivoted to leaving the state on standard time, which is much easier logistically, requiring only that lawmakers and Gov. Tina Kotek to agree.
Even then the issue proved controversial. The first version of the bill would have Oregon move forward on its own, leaving the real possibility that tens of thousands of Southwest Washington residents would be stuck in a commuting time limbo. The bill was revised to include a trigger, meaning Oregon would only move to standard time if Washington and California did as well.
Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, a family physician, argued switching to daylight saving time each year poses unnecessary health hazards.
“When our time clock is not aligned with the sun, it is bad for mental health,” she said. “It increases the risk of depression. It is bad for heart disease. We see a significant exacerbation in heart attacks.”
On the Senate floor, Sen. Aaron Woods, D-Wilsonville, said he would have preferred Oregon move to permanent daylight saving time, to allow for more light in the evenings. But permanent daylight saving time was also controversial with people concerned kids would be forced to walk to school in the mornings in the dark.
Lawmakers have tried for years to “ditch the switch” the twice-yearly time changes that started in World War 2 to reduce power outages.
Under the latest push to permanent standard time, an analysis by The Oregonian/OregonLive found Portland would see 97 sunrises before 5 a.m. with the sun rising as early as 4:21 a.m. on some summer mornings.
But that measure is now dead. On Sunday, March 10, Oregonians will spring forward, moving their clocks ahead an hour.