A bill to establish permanent Daylight Saving Time in New Jersey has been advanced by a state Senate committee, setting up a possible vote on the the legislation which could have severe effects on frum Jews statewide.
The bill, introduced by Senator Shirley Turner, would have New Jersey remain on Eastern Daylight Time and eliminate the four months of Eastern Standard Time, when we “fall back” an hour.
Turner cites numerous health studies that show that the biannual change of time has severe detrimental health effects on some, including a significant increase in heart attacks and fatal motor vehicle accidents in the weeks following clock changes.
“By getting rid of the time change we can completely avoid the negative side effects of this outdated, unnecessary practice and rest easy all year round,” Turner said.
Such a bill, if it became law, would create serious issues for frum Jews in New Jersey, who would be dealing with zmanim that don’t comport well with modern society, including alos often taking place after 7 AM.
However, frum Jews can breathe a sigh of relief, because the federal Uniform Time Act of 1966 prohibits states from enacting permanent daylight saving time without first amending the federal law. Thus, even if this bill is passed and signed into law in New Jersey, it’s effects would be contingent on Congress taking similar action.
I haven’t researched this very well, but I’m pretty sure that Arizona has been observing Standard time permanently since 1968. Why would this not be possible for NJ?
It would be possible. I believe the author here is in error. Individual states ma exempt themselves from daylight savings time as long as it applies to the entire state. Here, though, they wish to do the opposite and observe DST the whole year. That is an interesting one.
States had the option to opt out when the original law was written. Arizona (& I believe Hawaii) were smart enough to do that. Everyone else is stuck with it.
The latest Netz in Casa Grande Arizona is 7:28. Here it will be 8:15 approximately
I guess we no longer care about farmers or fresh produce. You know, the whole reason for dst.
I think you have it backwards. They aren’t trying to cancel DST, they are trying to extend it to the entire year. Like, permanently changing the clock to an hour ahead.
Thus, with full knowledge that the federal law of Uniform Time cannot be overridden by a single state, our lawmakers go through the motions, pass useless bills, and then go on recess, while wasting precious time and are getting paid for it.
Let’s vote them all in for lifetime appointments!
I wish they made it the opposite year round!
They should have it an hour earlier all year round
Why don’t they do away with DST completely?
In essence a complete waste of time.
I agree. Many cities near a date line, for example South Bend, IN, observes standard time the whole year round, no DST.
One single little state should not do such a thing; it will be nothing but confusing for everyone and everything; should that be the case the entire North American continent must do it which includes US’s 6 time zones, Canada’s 6 zones, Mexico’s 4 zones & each Central American country.
The old Samar Rebbe, the Divrei Yoel never changed his clock, he kept it on Eastern Standard Time all year round.
I know a lot of people who get really depressed when the clock gets turned back including myself leave it standard time the majority of people would feel better.
@Fact Check, the reason is because the law allows any state to opt out of DST and keep standard time, it forbids any state from extending DST.
Wowser what do farmers and produce have to do with it? Dst was created to make better use of daylight in order to save money on candle/electricity
@Judy and Meir, If we did away with DST, then at some points הנץ would be before 4:30 and latest סוף זמן תפילה would be before 9:30 with סוף זמן קריאת שמע being about 7:15 and 8:15, all extremely early.
@theconsultant that may be a good thing for our chashuv bnei torah in this state we may even have more learning and less night time shtusim that goes on.
I’m not saying this shall pass and be enacted bec it will make things very difficult for the baal habatim it will also have ramifications on neiboring states bec at some points of the yr we will be way off of being the same time as NY and Pennsylvania
The real danger is a bill by Marco Rubio to institute permanent DST nationwide. I asked Agudah about it and they showed me that they have taken an active stance against it and are watching it closely.
The only positive aspect I could think of with permanent DST is for those who live near a Muezzin 🙂
They tried this in New York many years ago and it didn’t work, reason being if you keep daylight saving time thru out the year in the winter months it’s dark outside until about 8 am, meaning kids are waiting for the bus while it’s pitch black outside. Does that make any sense??
I don’t think that this needs to be made only a religious issue. Imagine the educational impact on teenagers nationwide who already are biologically wired to sleep late, who now have to leave to school in the dark every day.