Sen. Stephens Calls for Federal Action on Permanent Daylight Saving Time

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Blake Cowboy Stephens, R-Tahlequah, called for Congressional action to allow states to adopt permanent Daylight Saving Time. Stephens served as the author of a trigger bill in the 2024 legislative session to adopt permanent DST in Oklahoma. The provisions of Senate Bill 1200 will take effect immediately following the passage of federal legislation allowing states to discontinue bi-annual time changes.

“This year, Oklahoma joined 19 other states who have passed legislation in support of permanent Daylight Saving Time. As other states continue to pursue legislative action to lock the clock, I am confident that we are building strength in numbers and that Congress will soon see how widespread the support for permanent DST is across the nation. I look forward to continuing discussions with Oklahoma’s federal delegation and other leaders in Washington to encourage them to support locking the clock and end the redundant and archaic practice of changing our clocks twice a year,” Stephens said.

Daylight Saving Time will end Sunday, November 3 and 48 states will roll their clocks back one hour.

“As Daylight Saving Time ends, I encourage Oklahomans to take note of the effects that the time change has on themselves and their families,” Stephens added. Losing an hour of daylight in the evenings can take a toll on both mental and physical health as the time change limits opportunities for outdoor exercise or leisure activities in the evenings. This is just one of many harmful effects of the bi-annual time change, as heart attacks, sleeping issues, depression, and other health problems are also known to increase following the switch.”

Stephens has been a proponent of locking the clock throughout his legislative tenure, which began in 2020.

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For more information, contact:
Sen. Blake Stephens at 405-521-5574, or email Blake.Stephens@oksenate.gov