Handout and remarks at Third House 23 Jan 2006

Following is the text of the handout I distributed at the Columbus, Indiana Third House session on 23 January 2005 with state legislators Senator Robert Garton and Representatives Eric Koch, Luke Messer, and David Yount.

I made the following accompanying remarks.

I realize that this is not a popular issue this session.

Other than Alaska, which is 15 times wider than Indiana, there are about 11 other states split between two time zones like Indiana. These are all two-to-five times wider than Indiana.

Just to be very clear, I am not calling for repeal of Daylight Saving Time (DST).

After the legislature and the governor approved DST last spring, many Hoosiers were hoping for statewide time zone hearings, with potential progress toward getting Indiana back in a single time zone again for the first time in 45 years.

According to some media reports that I see, one might think that it is mainly Democrats who are disappointed this didn't work out.

As a fellow Republican, I just wanted to remind you that this is a broader issue than that. I encourage you to support action toward a single time zone for all or most of Indiana.

***** BEGIN TEXT OF HANDOUT *****

Why not a single time zone for Indiana?

• Now that the DOT has issued its ruling, is Indiana's time situation settled for good?

It could be, but many Hoosiers would like to see the government finish the job and put Indiana back into a single time zone again.

• Have any bills been filed this session which would move Indiana toward a single time zone for most of the state?

Senate Bills 79 and 93, as well as House Bills 1205, 1014, and 1057 have had first reading and been referred to committee (http://tinyurl.com/7uo4a). One or more of these bills would need to receive a committee hearing and a favorable vote in the house of origin by February 2 in order to be passed to the other house.
You can leave a phone message requesting that your senator (800-382-9467) and representative (800-382-9842) support a hearing for these bills. Contacting Speaker Bosma (317-232-9604) and Governor Daniels (317-232-4567) might also help these bills get a hearing.

• What are the advantages to being in a single time zone?

There are many, but one obvious advantage is eliminating problems like school systems that cross the time zone boundary at county lines. Another obvious advantage is that customers and suppliers outside the state could easily determine the local time of any business in Indiana without having to figure out 1) what county it is in and 2) what time zone that county is in. (This advantage was supposed to be the rationale for switching to DST. But we're still not there - only one time for Indiana can do that.)

• Hasn't Indiana always been split between two time zones?

No, all of Indiana was in the central time zone from the official beginning of U.S. time zones in 1918 until 1961. But in 1961, the federal government shifted 43 Indiana counties into eastern and another 36 counties in 1967 (with the understanding that DST would not be observed). These wholesale shifts were very likely initiated by the state government, rather than by individual petitions from the affected counties.

• Isn't eastern time the natural time zone for Indiana?

Indiana lies well within the natural boundaries of central time. The U.S. Code specifies that the nominal midpoint between eastern and central is 82½° W longitude, virtually in the middle of Ohio. In Indiana, central time more evenly divides wintertime sunlight between morning and evening and, in the summer, more nearly shifts 60 minutes of daylight from morning to evening. In addition, since 1967, most of Indiana has been on central time 7 months out of every year.

• Wouldn't statewide central time wipe out the benefit of DST?

Not at all; indeed, they are separate subjects.

• But how much daylight saving benefit would we have on central time?

On the average, central DST shifts about 45 minutes of sunlight from morning to evening. For example, on August 8, there are 14 hours of daylight in central Indiana. Nominal sunrise and sunset are easily seen to be 6:00 am and 8:00 pm -- 6 hours before noon and 8 after. On central time, sunrise and sunset near Indianapolis are about 5:50 and 7:50 -- within ten minutes of nominal for DST.

• Several other states, like Kentucky, and Tennessee, are in two time zones. So what's wrong with Indiana's being in two time zones too?

None of those states are as narrow as Indiana. Virtually all of the other states with two time zones are 2-to-5 times wider than Indiana. The sun passes Indiana over head in only 13 minutes - we don't need to break ourselves into two.

• Was the DOT's county-by-county process a good indication of opinion throughout Indiana?

No. It served as an imperfect proxy for a public vote, and then only in the counties near the current boundary. Of the counties near the boundary, about 2/3 of those on eastern petitioned for central time, but none of those on central petitioned for eastern. According to the DOT ruling, only about ten percent of Indiana's counties explicitly expressed a desire to stay in the eastern time zone (or at least in the same zone as Indianapolis).
Unfortunately, this process also worked to divide neighbor against neighbor (especially St. Joseph and Elkhart counties).

• Why didn't the DOT consider putting the whole state back in a single time zone again?

The DOT said that they would not consider such a significant change without an endorsement from the Indiana legislators. And the legislature avoided making such a recommendation when they passed the DST bill.

• But can the governor and the legislature influence the DOT any longer?

The legislators and the governor would likely wield considerable influence with the DOT if they enact a bill requesting that at least 95 percent of Indiana's counties be reunited in a single time zone.

Compiled by Bill Starr, 22 Jan 2006.