DES MOINES, Iowa – The Iowa Senate State Government Committee passed SF 8, a bill that would make Daylight Savings Time permanent in Iowa if neighboring states do the same, passed by a voice vote on Wednesday.
The bill sponsored by State Senator Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, was amended to delay the change until neighboring states also make Daylight Savings Time permanent. If passed, the bill would sunset after ten years if all of Iowa’s neighboring states, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota, failed to make the change.
State Senator Jeff Reichman, R-Montrose, said the bill had to be amended.
“During the committee, we the subcommittee, we decided that this wouldn’t stand on its own. We couldn’t be an island of Daylight Savings Time in the Midwest here,” he said.
The subcommittee consisted of Reichman and State Senators Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines, and Dennis Guth, R-Klemme.
“This amendment gives other states ten years, all bordering states ten years, come on board with this and pass their own legislation,” Reichman added.
The amendment passed with a voice vote.
There was no additional discussion, so Reichman, in his closing comments, said, “This bill has passed before in the Senate, and it’s a good bill. I’ve had a lot of great feedback about it.”
The bill passed in a voice vote with no one voting against it. The legislation can now be placed on the Iowa Senate calendar for debate.
