Sunshine Protection Act: Here's what could change if approved

Some say the time change is disruptive, while others are happy for the daylight

Some say the time change is disruptive, while others are happy for the daylight

ABOUT A BILL THAT WOULD DO JUST THAT AFTER DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME CAME TO AN END SUNDAY. PEOPLE HAVE TO READJUST FOR FOUR MONTHS BEFORE THE TIME CHANGES AGAIN. FOR SOME, THIS IS THE TELLTALE SIGN OF THE HOLIDAYS. FOR OTHERS, IT’S A PAIN. I PERSON REALLY HATE WALKING OUT THE DOOR. 430 BEING DARK OUTSIDE. DR. PHILIPS BELIEVES THIS CHANGE BRINGS AN INCREASE IN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AS WELL. DISRUPTION IN SLEEP PATTERNS. WITH THE SUN SETTING SOONER DURING STANDARD TIME, PEOPLE ARE NOT ABLE TO ENJOY THEIR DAY AS MUCH, AND THAT’S LIKELY AS WELL AS A LOT OF MY PATIENTS ARE LESS LIKELY TO ENGAGE ACTIVITIES IN THE EVENING WHEN IT’S ALREADY DARK. SINCE 2018, THE SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE THREE TIMES. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL DEBATES OVER THE BILL CONCERNING THE EFFECTS OF HUMAN HEALTH, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AND WHETHER IT’S BETTER TO HAVE MORE SUNLIGHT IN THE MORNING OR EVENING. AND THAT BILL PASSED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE SENATE AND HAS BEEN SITTING IN THE HOUSE EVER SINCE. THE BILL, IF PASSED, WOULD MAKE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME PERMANENT FOR MOST STATES, INCLUDING MISSISSIPPI, STARTING NOVEMBER OF NEXT YEAR. MISSISSIPPI SENATOR CINDY HYDE-SMITH, ONE OF THE 18 CO-SPONSORS OF THE BILL, BEING A FARM GIRL, WE HAVE THE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME. YOU CAN SEE NEW NET DAY AND PEOPLE JUST FUNCTION BETTER WHEN THEY HAVE YOU KNOW, MORE DAYLIGHT TO GET THINGS DONE. OH, IF THIS BILL WERE TO PASS, LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT COULD HAPPEN. ACCORDING TO THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. THE STATE HAS JUST UNDER 35,000 FARMS AND IS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO POULTRY, SOYBEANS, COTTON, CATTLE AND SWEET POTATOES, TO NAME A FEW. BRIAN RHOADES IS A POULTRY AND CATTLE FARMER IN RANKIN COUNTY. SO FAR, THEY HAVE FARMERS TYPICALLY ARE WORKING DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS OR WE’RE WORRIED ABOUT THE WEATHER. THEN WHAT THE CLOCK SAYS. THE BIGGEST CHANGE THE SIGN SINCE SUNSET. YOU WOULD GET AN EXTRA HOUR OF DAYLIGHT IN THE AFTERNOON. HOWEVER, SUNRISE WOULD BE DELAYED. TAKE JACKSON, FOR EXAMPLE. ON JANUARY 1ST, THE STANDARD SUNRISE 7:01 A.M.. IF DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME WERE TO BECOME PERMANENT. SUNRISE ON JANUARY 1ST WOULD BE A1AM AND SOME AREAS ACROSS THE COUNTRY COULD HAVE A SUNRISE CLOSER TO 9 A.M. LOCAL TIME. THIS COULD PLAY A MAJOR EFFECT ON MORNING COMMUTES AND ACCIDENTS ON THE ROADS. ACCORDING TO DRIVERS, EDGECOMB THE MOST DANGEROUS TIMES OF TRAVEL IN THE WATER IS FROM 4 TO 8 P.M.. IF DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME WERE TO REMAIN PERMANENT, WE COULD SEE A DECREASE IN WEEKS IN THE EVENING, BUT AN INCREASE IN THE MORNING COMMUTE. MANY PEOPLE, HOWEVER, ARE MORE FOCUSED ON THE EXTRA HOUR OF EVENING DAYLIGHT. I DON’T KNOW THAT ONE EXTRA HOUR OF DARK IN THE MORNING WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE NEGATIVELY AS HAVING AN EXTRA HOUR WOULD AFFECT THEM POSITIVELY IN THE EVENING. I’VE GOT A FIVE YEAR OLD, EIGHT YEAR OLD AND 11 WHEN THEY COME IN UNTIL THEY GET HOME, BETWEEN 330 HAVE BEEN INSIDE ALL DAY. THEY’RE READY TO GO OUT. SO THE IDEA OF HAVING AN EXTRA HOUR OF SUNLIGHT IN THE AFTERNOON CAN BE A HUGE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO ONE’S HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH. I THINK IN MISSISSIPPI, WE WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE, GET OUTSIDE, ENJOY THE SUNSHINE, ENJOY THE EFFECTS OF VITAMIN D. IF WE HAD A LONGER DAYS. I’D LOVE TO SEE THE LITERATURE LIKE 20 YEARS AFTER WE MAKE THE CHANGE AND WE WOULD HOPE THAT IT WOULD REFLECT POSITIVELY ON OUR

Sunshine Protection Act: Here's what could change if approved

Some say the time change is disruptive, while others are happy for the daylight

People are still adjusting to the one-hour time change, but one bill could remove the time shift altogether.After daylight saving time came to an end Sunday, people have to re-adjust for four months before the time changes again.For some, this is the tell-tale sign of the holidays, but for others, it's a pain. Dr. Catherine Phillippi, a pediatrician at TrustCare Kids, believes the time change brings an increase in anxiety and depression, as well as a disruption in sleep patterns.With the sun setting sooner during standard time, people are not able to enjoy their day as much."I think I’m less likely, as well as a lot of my patients are less likely to engage in activities in the evening when it's already dark," Phillippi said.Since 2018, the Sunshine Protection Act has been in and out of the Senate three times. There have been several debates over the bill concerning the effects on human health, traffic accidents and whether it is better to have more sunlight in the morning or in the evening.In March, the bill passed for the first time in the Senate and has been sitting in the House ever since. The bill, if passed, would make daylight saving time permanent for most states, including Mississippi, starting Nov. 5, 2023. U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican from Mississippi, is one of the 18 co-sponsors of the bill."Being a farm girl, I love daylight saving time," Hyde-Smith said. "You can continue to extend that day. People just function better when they have more daylight to get things done." So, if this bill were to pass, what could happen? According to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture, the state has just under 35,000 farms and is a major contributor to poultry, soybeans, cotton, cattle and sweet potatoes, to name a few."For me, as far as the clock goes with DST, farmers are typically working during the daylight hours. We are more worried about the weather than what the clock says," said Brian Rhodes, a Rankin County farmer.The biggest change would be the sunrise and sunset. There would be an extra hour of daylight in the afternoon. However, sunrise would be delayed. Take Jackson, for example. On Jan. 1, the standard sunrise is at 7:01 a.m. If daylight saving time were to become permanent, sunrise on Jan. 1 would be 8:01 a.m. Some areas across the country could have a sunrise closer to 9 a.m. local time.This could play a major effect on morning commutes and accidents on the roads. According to Drivers-Ed.com, the most dangerous time of travel in the winter is from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. If daylight saving time were to remain permanent, there could be a decrease in wrecks in the evening, but an increase during the morning commute. Many people, however, are more focused on the extra hour of evening daylight."I don't know that one extra hour of darkness in the morning would make as much of a difference negatively, as having an extra hour would affect them positively in the evening," Phillippi said.

JACKSON, Miss. —

People are still adjusting to the one-hour time change, but one bill could remove the time shift altogether.

After daylight saving time came to an end Sunday, people have to re-adjust for four months before the time changes again.

For some, this is the tell-tale sign of the holidays, but for others, it's a pain. Dr. Catherine Phillippi, a pediatrician at TrustCare Kids, believes the time change brings an increase in anxiety and depression, as well as a disruption in sleep patterns.

With the sun setting sooner during standard time, people are not able to enjoy their day as much.

"I think I’m less likely, as well as a lot of my patients are less likely to engage in activities in the evening when it's already dark," Phillippi said.

Since 2018, the Sunshine Protection Act has been in and out of the Senate three times. There have been several debates over the bill concerning the effects on human health, traffic accidents and whether it is better to have more sunlight in the morning or in the evening.

In March, the bill passed for the first time in the Senate and has been sitting in the House ever since. The bill, if passed, would make daylight saving time permanent for most states, including Mississippi, starting Nov. 5, 2023.

U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican from Mississippi, is one of the 18 co-sponsors of the bill.

"Being a farm girl, I love daylight saving time," Hyde-Smith said. "You can continue to extend that day. People just function better when they have more daylight to get things done."

So, if this bill were to pass, what could happen? According to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture, the state has just under 35,000 farms and is a major contributor to poultry, soybeans, cotton, cattle and sweet potatoes, to name a few.

"For me, as far as the clock goes with DST, farmers are typically working during the daylight hours. We are more worried about the weather than what the clock says," said Brian Rhodes, a Rankin County farmer.

The biggest change would be the sunrise and sunset. There would be an extra hour of daylight in the afternoon. However, sunrise would be delayed. Take Jackson, for example. On Jan. 1, the standard sunrise is at 7:01 a.m. If daylight saving time were to become permanent, sunrise on Jan. 1 would be 8:01 a.m. Some areas across the country could have a sunrise closer to 9 a.m. local time.

This could play a major effect on morning commutes and accidents on the roads. According to Drivers-Ed.com, the most dangerous time of travel in the winter is from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. If daylight saving time were to remain permanent, there could be a decrease in wrecks in the evening, but an increase during the morning commute.

Many people, however, are more focused on the extra hour of evening daylight.

"I don't know that one extra hour of darkness in the morning would make as much of a difference negatively, as having an extra hour would affect them positively in the evening," Phillippi said.