2020 should be the last year we ‘spring forward or ‘fall backward.’ Can I get an amen?

The sun is up right now at my house. It is shortly after 8 on Friday morning as I write this. Today, as you read this, the sun will just be rising at this time. Instead of light when I get up, it will be dark.

This Friday evening, when I get off radio at 6 p.m., I will still have sunlight outside, but by 7 p.m. it will be dark. Today, it will stay bright until after 8 p.m.

The world has not suddenly shifted today. No, only Congress moved. Congress has the power to play with time and has, for years, imposed Daylight Saving Time on us. It is time to stop. We all sprang forward this morning. Those of us getting up this morning to head to church will be groggy, disoriented, and ready to go take a nap. Jesus did not take an hour from us, government did. Come November, we will get an extra hour of sleep as Congress gives it back and we return to standard time.

This year should be the last year we do this.

If we stayed on standard time, in the summer we will still have daylight long into the evenings, but it will be dark enough to shoot fireworks on the Fourth of July by 9 p.m. instead of 10 p.m. In the mornings, there will be less darkness to mask children waiting for school buses.

I get the allure of keeping us on Daylight Saving Time, but I think we should instead just embrace time without congressional interference. This should be the last year we spring forward and, once we fall back in November, we leave the clock alone. But, in reality, if we spring forward and stay there, I would be fine with that, too. I just want to stop the regular cycle of springing forward and falling back. There is ample research that the annual spring forward causes health problems, car wrecks, and more.

Joe Biden and President Trump could find some bipartisan unity by ditching the time shift. We have not always had it and we should get rid of it.

In Georgia, State Rep. Wes Cantrell introduced a non-binding resolution to let voters in Georgia vote whether to spring forward permanently, fall back permanently, or keep the status quo. The Georgia Legislature could keep us on standard time without an act of Congress. To stay on Daylight Saving Time, Congress must act.

Shortly before my deadline for this, the Georgia House blocked Cantrell’s plan for a referendum from moving forward. Instead, House leaders favored HB 630, which would adopt permanent Daylight Saving Time. This means we will keep springing forward and falling backwards until Congress acts. Congress may not act.

Hopefully, the Georgia Senate will push forward with Cantrell’s legislation and put this question on the ballot in November. It would be non-binding, but if a majority of citizens were happy to stay on standard time with the sun coming up earlier in the morning, but not late sunrises, the Georgia Legislature could and should act. Regardless, it is time to stop playing with time. It is time to stop going through this every year.

If we cannot get rid of it, perhaps we should adopt my wife’s proposal. She favors fall back every Monday morning and spring forward every Friday afternoon. We would all get an extra hour of sleep on Monday and a shorter work day on Friday. I would be OK with that.

Erick Erickson hosts the Erick Erickson Show on 940 AM WMAC.