Vail Speaks in Favor of Adopting Atlantic Standard Time

Hartford – State Rep. Kurt Vail (R-Stafford) spoke in favor of legislation that would require the State of Connecticut to adopt Atlantic Standard Time as its static time zone.  Effectively, this new law would extend daylight during the winter months. Rep. Vail testified with Scott C. Yates who authors the blog, Lock the Clock Movement, to help provide additional educational resources to committee members about the time zone issue.

“This legislation would have a positive impact on all of Connecticut’s residents.  There are numerous studies that show there are negative health effects associated with turning the clocks back an hour, and then jumping ahead an hour biannually.  It’s disruptive and it’s also negative for businesses that could benefit from it being light out later in the day,” explained Rep. Vail.

Scott C. Yates explained the current situation, “This issue is the very definition of nonpartisan one. No matter where you are politically, this issue defies any political bent. It’s one of those weird ones that nobody can quite figure out why it’s an issue at all, why it hasn’t been fixed. The answer, I’m afraid, is simply inertia. We do it because we’ve always done it.”

The new law calls for the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island to also adopt Atlantic Standard Time, in order for it to take effect in Connecticut. Some states, like Arizona and Hawaii do not change their clocks and stay in one static time zone throughout the calendar year.

Yates went on to speak to the fact that Arizona neighbors California, a state that switches into Daylight Savings Time, “Arizonans know that it’s a hassle coordinating the time with the rest of the clock-changing world, but they don’t have to change so they are fine with that. The confusion with the rest of the world is a small price to pay, they say.”

Rep. Vail concluded by saying, “We are trying to make life-improving decisions as policy makers here in Connecticut.  This policy just represents one piece of what we are trying to accomplish as a whole without the state needing to cut a program or to increase taxes.”

The committee will consider the legislation over the coming days; the next step would be to move it to the House Floor.

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