UPDATE: House Bill 5566 Ending Daylight Saving Time in Michigan

Daylight Saving Time (DST) is a biannual tradition in which we sacrifice sleep, sanity, and probably our ability to make coherent decisions real pain in the butt. However, a 'blinking 12:00' beacon of hope in the form of House Bill 5566, the "Sunshine Protection Act," has been introduced in Michigan. Its goal: Eliminate DST in Michigan. This seems like a piece of legislation people would get behind, right? I mean, who looks forward to it?

RELATED: Remembering When Michigan Called '1212' For the Time

Before you jump for joy or throw your microwave and oven instructions away (or VHS and DVD players, if you're still hanging on), let's see where Bill stands today, the obstacles it faces, and your sleep rhythm.

Why Michigan Has 'Had It' With Daylight Saving Time

Midland, Michigan, State Representative Bill Schuttee introduced the Sunshine Act on March 13, 2024. He argues that DST is wreaking havoc on our lives. Speaking with Midland News, Kathryn Esch, a sleep medicine expert at Michigan Health Midland, stated that research shows DST is tied to increased heart attacks, car accidents, and probably your inability to find matching socks the Monday after the time change.

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OpenHeart claims the most brutal hit is to our 'circadian rhythm,' which is the fancy way of saying it makes us cranky and dumb for days. Teenagers lose an average of 32 minutes of sleep per night during DST. And if you've ever dealt with a sleep-deprived teen, you know that 32 minutes can be the difference between peace and utter eye-rolling, heavy sighing, feet-stomping chaos.

Why Some Michigan Legislators Are Slow to Embrace Ditching DST

Now, you might think getting rid of DST is a no-brainer, right? Wrong. Some legislators, like State Senator Kristen Riviet of Bay City, argue that we should wait and see if more states join the anti-DST bandwagon before we forget how to reset our car radio clocks.

RELATED: How Many Time Zones Are In Michigan? Hint: More Than One

I say let's be the tipping point for the Midwest. Let's ditch every clock manual we own and become the USA's third state to toss out instruction manuals and welcome Standard Time year-round, like Arizona and Hawaii.

Where Does the 'Sunshine Protection Act' Sit Now?

UPDATED: The 'Sunshine Protection Act' was immediately assigned to the Committee on Government Operations. What does that mean? As of now, it's gone nowhere. No updates, just sitting, waiting. Meanwhile, we will once again reset our clocks to standard time on March 9, 2025. Hooray.

In the end, whether Michigan stays in Standard Time year-round or continues to endure the twice-a-year confusion of DST, one thing's for sure: your microwave clock will always be wrong.