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When do we turn back the clocks in Oregon?

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When do we turn back the clocks in Oregon?

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Oregonians will set their clocks back an hour on Sunday, even though the state passed a law in 2019 making daylight saving time permanent.

A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate that would make daylight saving time permanent passed in that chamber but has since stalled in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The bill introduced in the Oregon Senate to make Pacific Standard Time permanent did not pass in the 2024 session. Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, who introduced the bill, said at the time she would reintroduce it during the 2025 legislative session.

Here's why we still set our clocks back and what the future holds for daylight saving time.

When does daylight saving time end in 2024?

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 3rd. People will turn their clocks back an hour and gain an hour of sleep. The sun also rises and sets earlier.

Will Oregon ever keep daylight saving time permanently?

Oregon passed a law in 2019 preventing our clocks from turning back and changing to daylight saving time, but is awaiting congressional approval.

Separately, Thatcher introduced Senate Bill 1548 in Oregon's 2024 legislative session, saying it would be the state's best opportunity to end the practice of switching from standard time to daylight saving time in the spring and then back to standard time in the fall.

The bill was amended to include a requirement that California and Washington also adopt year-round standard time by 2034 before the bill can take effect.

The bill passed the Senate but was referred to the Emergency Management, General Government and Veterans Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives and did not receive a vote. Thatcher said at the time she would reintroduce the proposal during the 2025 legislative session.

What is the status of the Sunshine Protection Act in Congress?

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act in 2023, which would make daylight saving time permanent, and is one of 18 co-sponsors of the bill.

The bill passed in the Senate but has since stalled in the House.

A spokesperson for Wyden said that even though the future of the bill in the House cannot be predicted, Senator Wyden cannot give up.

U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, who is not a co-sponsor of the legislation, said through spokeswoman Molly Prescott that he is listening to Oregonians who prefer winter time or daylight saving time. He also heard concerns from experts about how a sunrise after 8 a.m. could affect schoolchildren and sleep patterns if Oregon moves to permanent daylight saving time.

“Ultimately, this is a complex issue with important considerations for both state legislators and federal senators to weigh about the possible path forward,” Prescott said.

A History of Summertime

Every year, Americans get used to darker mornings and brighter evenings because of daylight saving time, and then do the opposite by reverting to standard time during the colder months. Variations on this practice have existed in the United States for more than 100 years.

Daylight saving time was established in 1918 by the Standard Time Act to save energy during World War I. In 1966, it was standardized by the Uniform Time Act, dividing the year into six months of standard time and six months of daylight saving time.

Daylight saving time used to be permanent; Americans hated it

In the winter of 1974, daylight saving time was made permanent with the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act, a two-year experiment to combat the national energy crisis. Yet it was so unpopular with Americans that it didn't even last a year.

The permanent time change was repealed because of complaints that “daylight time in the winter months posed dangers to children who go to school in the dark and that the energy savings were minuscule,” according to Statesman Journal archives.

What's the drama between standard time and daylight saving time?

On the one hand, supporters of daylight saving time want to enjoy sunlight longer in the evenings, while opponents say brighter mornings make more sense for agricultural purposes, commuters and parents sending their children to school.

A 2019 study showed that of the 72% of Americans who want to eliminate semi-annual time changes, 40% would prefer permanent standard time and 31% would prefer permanent daylight saving time.

Another study conducted by YouGov Poll found that 62% of Americans wanted to get rid of the time change permanently, with half of them preferring daylight saving time.

When does daylight saving time start in 2025?

On Sunday, March 9, 2025, people will set their clocks forward one hour at 2 a.m. Daylight saving time applies until Sunday, November 2, 2025.

Statesman Journal reporters Capi Lynn and Dianne Lugo contributed to this report.

Ginnie Sandoval is an Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval can be reached at GSandoval@gannett.com or to X @Ginnie Sandoval.

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