A South Dakota legislative committee has voted against a bill aiming to adjust how the state observes time.
Rep. Ben Krohmer sponsored House Bill 1009, which provided a legal way to adjust South Dakota’s observed time.
“So, for instance, we’ll still follow the old saying of spring forward and fall back; however, instead of changing our clocks an hour, we change time zones” he said.
By adjusting time zones every spring and fall, South Dakota would stay in daylight saving time year-round.
Opponents highlighted the risks of this change. They said keeping permanent daylight saving time would force construction workers and school children to begin their days in the dark, leading to possible safety hazards.
They also cited possible confusion for out-of-state workers who travel into South Dakota every day.
The House State Affairs committee killed the bill Wednesday in an 11 to two vote.