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SALT LAKE CITY — Many Utahns don't like daylight saving time, but golf courses and other businesses worry about the economic impact of losing an hour of daylight, according a presentation to lawmakers Wednesday.
The chairman of the Legislature's Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee, Sen. Aaron Osmond, R-South Jordan, announced he is drafting a bill for the upcoming 2015 session to make a change.
But Osmond said he has yet to decide whether he wants to see Utah stay on daylight saving time permanently or stop setting clocks an hour ahead
"I will run the bill," Osmond told the committee. "I believe we have to make a decision one way or the other as a Legislature" to address the concerns raised in an online survey by the Governor's Office of Economic Development.
More than 27,000 Utahns responded to the survey, and nearly 70 percent said they wanted to stop switching to daylight saving time every spring. The rest were split between sticking with the current system or staying on daylight saving time year round.
The survey, along with a public hearing held in July in Salt Lake City, resulted from legislation last session sponsored by Rep. Ronda Menlove, R-Garland, to collect data about what Utahns think about the traditional "spring forward, fall back" time change.
#poll
Menlove, a member of the committee who is not seeking re-election, said the issue has generated a lot of interest despite some questioning its importance.
"People take this seriously, and it's an important issue to them," she said.
Committee members, however, decided against coming up with their own bill.
Rep. Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, said he's concerned about the impact an hour less of daylight in the summer could have on outdoor recreation and tourist-related businesses.
The economic development office reported the Golf Association for Utah warned of a $24 million loss, while Ski Utah said there would be "dramatic operational challenges" with avalanche control, plus Utah would be labeled "quirky."
No one hates changing their clocks more than I do. It's a real pain in the rear end, but I’m more than happy to live with that.
–Rep. Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville
"No one hates changing their clocks more than I do," Wilson said, calling for the business community to get a chance to air its concerns. "It's a real pain in the rear end, but I’m more than happy to live with that."
Rep. Rich Cunningham, R-South Jordan, also questioned the potential impact the state's biggest industries and said the issue may need to go before voters because of the wide-ranging effects.
Menlove urged the committee to take into account the public's interest in seeing a change.
"I don't want to start with bias of, 'Let’s figure out how not to look at this issue,'" she said.
Brian Anderson of Salt Lake City told the committee he opposes eliminating daylight saving time because it will have a "negative health impact" on Utahns who won't be able to work out or play sports in the evening.
