Senator proposes sticking with Daylight Savings Time

A new leader in the state Senate proposes a new way of keeping time in Iowa.Senate Co-President Jack Kibbie, a democrat from Emmetsburg, has drafted a bill which would declare that Iowa will observe Daylight Savings Time all the time. We’re operating on standard time now. So, if Kibbie’s bill becomes law, Iowans would “spring forward” in April — but when October comes, there’d be no “falling back.” “I think most Iowans would just assume we stay on Daylight Savings Time,” Kibbie says. Kibbie believes full-time Daylight Savings Time would give Iowans more afternoon leisure time when it’s still light out. “Under Daylight Savings Time, there’s more time after school, there’s more time (when) people get off work, more time for other things they want to do with their families,” Kibbie says. Kibbie doesn’t think it’d be that difficult for Iowa to be operating on a different time than other states in the Central Time Zone. Kibbie says we easily adjust when flying on an airplane from one time zone to another, and he believes a poll of Iowans would show he’s “on the right track” with his idea. Now that the news is out about his idea, though, Kibbie is prepared for a backlash. “I’m going to hear why we should not do this,” Kibbie says. The newly-elected Senate Co-President hopes Iowa becomes a leader on the issue. “Maybe if Iowa starts, maybe five years from now there’ll be 11 states in the Midwest that’ll all switch,” Kibbie says.