Washington: Follow California’s lead and stay in Daylight Saving Time

Over the last midterm election, California voted to remain in Daylight Saving Time year-round, and it’s time Washington did the same.

RELATED: Why Daylight Saving needs to go

“California voters have rejected the tyranny of Daylight Saving,” The Ron and Don Show’s Don O’Neill joked on KIRO Radio. 

Voters approved the proposition by an almost 60 percent margin, joining Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Minor Outlying Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin islands in permanent Daylight Saving Time. With the exception of tribal lands, Arizona observes standard time year-round.

Arguments in favor of the measure claim that Daylight Saving Time leads to health problems, car accidents, and decreased productivity the Monday after setting the clocks back or forth.

“This is just one of those things in the ‘well, we’ve always done it that way’ file,” said Ron Upshaw. “It makes no sense, the logic on it at this point really (doesn’t) matter today.”

California’s measure still needs two-thirds approval from the state’s Legislature, and then Congressional approval following that. If it eventually goes into effect, Washington’s neighbors to the south will essentially exist in a separate time zone than the rest of the U.S. west coast for half the year.

Given that the sun sets in Seattle a little after 4 p.m. in the winter, it would seem like a no-brainer to fight for every last ounce of sunlight in an already sunlight-starved region. Comparatively, sunset in Los Angeles in December hovers closer to 4:45 p.m.

For now, it’s just nice to see a politically polarized country agree on something.

“I know that there are bigger political fish to fry but this is a victory for America — it’s a bipartisan issue everyone can support,”noted Upshaw.