Early bird or late start? the question that has divided the nation. Daylight saving time has been an annual chore since the days of World War I, in order to preserve gas and oil. However, as it has been more than a century since it was exceedingly necessary to change the clock, why are we stuck in old patterns?

In response to these concerns, Congress came up with legislation titled the ‘Sunshine Act’ which would make daylight saving time permanent. 

After attempting to get the Sunshine Protection Act into legislation in 2018, Congress approved the bill, this year, unanimously to stay on daylight saving time after November 2023.  In Montana, however, despite legislation instituted against it in the states surrounding, daylight saving time has stayed without question. Montana senators, however, haven’t been opposed to the bill’s approval. 

“[It] will be good to skip the hassle of changing the clocks!” Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) said in a statement to the Lance. 

Senator Jon Tester (D-MT)  said he “supported the Sunshine Protection Act earlier this year when it passed unanimously in the Senate” in a statement to the Lance. Going further he said he “believes making daylight savings time permanent will give folks more consistency and less hassle.” 

Despite Montana senators’ optimism for the change of pace, many aren’t quite as fond of the new outcome. 

Junior Cameron Newbold has been a fan of daylight saving in the past. As school days become predictable and tiring, he said, “I think it’s cool how there’s kind of a change up.” However, with the news of the act being put into place, he said, “It’s not too big of a deal to me.” 

Other students follow Newbold’s opinions. Junior Zaylie Wright said, “You get an extra hour of sleep, which is pretty nice.” However, Wright felt blindsided when hearing daylight saving will be no more. “They should have had more opinions on it,” said Wright. 

The only barrier to the bill being passed is congress, which due to the pilling agenda hasn’t been spoken about yet.

Controversy aside, this will be a change, good or bad, for all Montanans. This year, daylight saving ends on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 2 a.m. MT, perhaps one of the last times changing clocks will be a necessity.