The Sunshine Protection Act

| 12:30 am EDT March 17, 2021
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There has been so much bickering between the Republicans and the Democrats for so long it is a wonder anything gets done at all. Sometimes it does seem as though the two parties cannot agree on anything.
But now, there is a bill looming large that has received bipartisan support.

This bill has nothing to do with voting rights or COVID, or the minimum wage. But there are Senators on both sides who want to see this bill signed into law. And it has to do with…the sun? Indeed it does. This bill is called “The Sunshine Protection Act of 2021.”

This bill would do away with the pesky chore of having to change our clocks twice a year and let Daylight Savings Time become permanent year-round. Marco Rubio first tried bringing up this bill in 2018, and it did not work out. Now, it has support from many diverse members of the Senate including many Democrats. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Ed Markey of Massachusetts, and Ron Wyden of Oregon are all in on this bill.

Studies have shown that having more sunlight decreases the number of car accidents and can lead to better health such as less depression and fewer cardiovascular issues. Opponents of the bill are not convinced, however. They argue that having year-round daylight savings time would hinder children who would have to walk to school in the dark.

It is not yet clear whether this bill will ever be passed into law. If it were, it would not be the first time this country did something like this. We have done it twice before, from 1942-1945 and 1974-1975. It is an interesting bill, and though far from the most crucial issue, it does inspire debate. I support this bill (one can never have enough sunlight) and look forward to seeing where it goes.