BOISE, Idaho — A bill that would have eliminated daylight saving time in Idaho has been defeated in the Idaho House. The vote on House Bill 85 was 15-55. Every member voted.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Christy Zito, R-Hammett, said it would have meant that Idahoans no longer would have to spring ahead or fall back during the year.
However, there was lots of opposition. Most of it came from lawmakers who said it would have a negative impact on recreation in the evenings during the summertime.
Rep. Ryan Kerby, R-New Plymouth, said when he was growing up he looked forward all spring to daylight saving time and more time for activities in the summer.
“Do not do this to our kids and our families,” Kerby said.
Rep. Mat Erpelding, who operates an outdoor business, said this bill would hurt him and others in the outdoor recreation industry. “Doing this will harm our communities,” he said.
Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, also spoke in opposition to the bill. She said the summer is shorter in eastern Idaho and an hour less of daylight would not only hurt businesses that rely on recreation, but it would impact summer baseball programs.
During Friday morning’s debate, no representatives other than Rep. Zito spoke in favor of the bill. You can seen who voted for and against the bill in the photo of the vote board in the House.
