Gov. Brian Kemp has signed a bill for Georgia to switch to daylight saving time year-round, but don’t expect time changes to stop anytime soon.

The law will only go into effect if Congress lifts a federal prohibition on states making daylight saving time permanent.

Kemp signed the measure, Senate Bill 100, on Wednesday after it cleared the General Assembly last month. He didn’t comment on the legislation.

Supporters of the bill said Georgians would be better off if they didn’t have to spring forward and fall back every year, a practice that contributes to sleep deprivation, health problems and traffic accidents.

But its opponents preferred permanent standard time, which is currently observed during four winter months. They said standard time provides more light in the morning for schoolchildren and farmers, and that it would increase productivity.

Daylight saving time won the debate among legislators who preferred later sunsets and more time for outdoor leisure activities after work. The bill passed the Senate 45-6 and the House 111-48.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Georgia Lt. Gov. Lester Maddox, angry about an article, burns a copy of The Atlanta Constitution in the state Senate on March 10, 1971, saying the paper did not have the "guts, integrity, manhood or decency" to report the situation accurately. (AJC file)

Credit: AP FILE

Featured

Ja’Quon Stembridge, shown here in July at the Henry County Republican Party monthly meeting, recently stepped from his position with the Georgia GOP. (Jenni Girtman for the AJC)

Credit: Jenni Girtman