What a difference four years make. In 2022, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make Daylight Saving Time permanent, only to have that bill stall in the Democratic-led House. Now, four years later, the Republican-led House passed that same bill on a vote of 308-117. Julia Letlow was among the representatives who voted in favor of it, doing so after polling her constituents.
“A few hundred thousand people responded, and 80% are in favor of making Daylight Saving permanent, so I knew exactly how I needed to vote on this one,” Letlow said.
Since the previous Senate vote was during the 117th Congress, the measure now goes back to the Senate in this, the 119th Congress. Letlow acknowledges it faces an uncertain fate there.
“We passed it over in the house; we’ll see what the senate does. I know they’re down a few votes over there, so we’ll see,” Letlow noted.
If HR 139 ultimately becomes law, sunrise in Shreveport in early January could come after 8:15 a.m.