Did you Know?

By Paul Waldmiller

Did you know that Senator Rick Scott and Representative Vern Buchanan have advanced the Sunshine Protection Act?

Both Senator Scott and Congressman Buchanan recently introduced legislation to make Daylight Savings Time (DST) permanent nationwide. This bill recently passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee with a 48-1 vote as part of the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act. While President Trump and public polls show strong support for ending the twice-yearly clock change, the bill faces significant opposition from Senator Tom Cotton and health experts. 

Many Floridians and Americans on social media including on X (formerly known as Twitter) argue that permanent Daylight Savings Time would result in darker mornings, particularly in northern states, potentially disrupting children’s school schedules and penalizing morning-shift workers who rely on sunlight. Additionally, medical organizations like the American Academy of Sleep Medicine contend that permanent DST could negatively impact public health by disrupting circadian rhythms, whereas they advocate for making Standard Time, permanent instead.

It is noteworthy that Representative Buchanan is retiring at the end of his current term in office, and according to Quiver Quantitative, with a net worth of $261.8 million, and Senator Scott, has been involved in a string of controversial political snafus including the violation of the STOCK Act, in 2022 where Scott failed to timely report stock sales worth up to $450,000.