Imagine an extra hour of soccer practice. A longer day at the beach. More sunshine to hustle tourists through Disney World.
That’s the goal of Sen. Darren Soto, a Democrat from Kissimmee. Soto filed his perennial bill Thursday to make Florida the only state to observe daylight saving time permanently.
“Can you imagine the marketing campaign of, ‘come down to Florida, now with an hour of more sunshine?’”
Soto’s failed to sell the idea before and he would be surprised if it passes this year. His goal is next year, after it gains steam.
Businesses like the idea, Soto says. And he has an answer for parents who don’t want kids waiting in the dark for the bus.
“So school districts already have the authority to adjust school start times.”
Daylight Saving Time starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. Hawaii doesn’t observe it and neither does most of Arizona. President Woodrow Wilson adopted it first during World War I to save fuel.
