Daylight saving time sparks debate in Lincoln County

Most are accustomed to daylight saving changes in the spring and fall. Some grumble about the jet lagged feeling and time confusion that comes with the change, but accept it nonetheless.

Now Montana State Representative Ryan Osmundson has put forward a bill that would abolish daylight saving time in the state, creating Montana standard time. If the bill is passed, Montana would join other opt-out States Hawaii and Arizona.

Senate Bill 206 passed through the senate with 36 in favor and 14 opposed last month, but is expected to gather opposition as it progresses. If it passes, Montana would turn its clocks back in November and not change them again.

Opponents to the bill include some farmers, who say they would need to get up at 3 a.m. to have a productive day, and some schools, who say they would have to purchase lighting for fall sports. Those schools say that the associated ongoing energy expenses would mean the end of school sports.

Opinion in Lincoln County is divided on the proposed bill. Ken Eggerts, of Troy says “I would support the bill. I think it’s outlived it’s usefulness, we’re not an agrarian society anymore.”

Osmundson, of Buffalo, Mont., said he introduced the bill because he was asked to do so by constituents in his rural Montana district who farm and were frustrated about the way time changes affected their livelihood.

“I think it would be an excellent idea to get rid of daylight saving,” Kelvin Richey of Troy said. “Ever since I was a kid, I never understood why we did it. We can’t change when the sun gets up or goes down, so why mess with it? It seems like I’m always going to work in the dark.”

Mike Cratty of Troy says he would vote to keep daylight saving time, “I like the extra hours of daylight in the summer. I can do more chores, a little more fishing after work.” Those in favor of the bill include many in the tourism industry, who say the longer daylight hours in summer can help them maximise their peak period.

But Betty Crammer of Troy remembers her children being thrown off schedule and how hard it was to settle back in after a time change “I would get rid of it” she says “I still remember those years, having to get kids up for school when they were fast asleep. Your body clock is just off, I’m still feeling it a week after the Spring change.”

Osmundson is father to eight children, so perhaps he has his own reasons, similar to Betty’s, to want to abolish the time change.

“I would support the bill to abolish daylight saving 100 percent,” says Karyn Larsen of Libby “I don’t like it, I’m a morning person and in the Spring I really miss the hour of light we gained.” Larsen would like to see sunrise tourism, and early morning sports practices. “We have allowed ourselves to become lazy. I think all the time change really benefits is shopping, because people don’t want to go shopping in the dark.”

Larsen sums up her opinion with a Native American saying she heard about the time change.

“Only white man would believe that you could cut a foot off a blanket and sew it to the other end and have a longer blanket.”

The saying touches on something that many people mentioned - daylight saving is not actually changing the day length, it’s only changing perception by changing the time.