Lawmakers want daylight saving time permanent

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -Daylight saving time is over on November 5, putting the clocks back an hour and gaining sleep in the fall with standard time. Some state lawmakers are looking to do away with the seasonal time change.

According to Kathryn Kosto of the Albany County Historic Association, time was not always tracked as frequently and accurately as today. One train accident in 1853 helped lead to more consistent tracking.

"Two trains were on the same track running headlong. After that, New Englanders decided they were going to go to a New England-based central time system," stated Kosto.

The historian says economics played a large factor in getting up early. Most jobs and the cost of lighting meant daylight was valuable. "People really did get up with the chickens. Staying up late at night was an expensive luxury due to burning candles and whale oil lamps," described Kosto.

In 1966, the Uniform Time Act welcomed daylight saving time and the changing of the clocks. Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara says it is now an outdated system that instead hinders the economy.

"What we’re seeing is there’s serious health effects anytime you mess with the sleep cycle. Millions of dollars lost in the economy because of lost productivity," says Santabarbara.

Santabarbara and Senator Joseph Griffo, who represents counties in Central New York, each introduced a bill to make daylight saving time a year-round system. They say New York will be the 30th state to be considering similar legislation.

"A vast majority of our community, state, and I think so. Across the nation from surveys that I’ve seen, people are questioning why we need to continue to spring forward and fall back and they would like to see us go on a universal time," explained Griffo.

Their bills propose daylight saving time only being used in the state, but a final version could make standard time permanent instead. Lawmakers are also working with neighboring states to come up with a federal plan.