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Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Ind. Law - [Updated] Status of daylight savings time bill

Here is the webpage for Senate Bill 127, the reported site for the revived time bill. However, there is no sign yet. The first sign would be listed under "House Committee Reprts." However, the page shows no "filed" reports yet, much less "adopted" House Committee Reports.

As Martin DeAgostino reports today in the South Bend Tribune

INDIANAPOLIS -- House lawmakers will use a Goshen senator's bill on freeway speed limits to revive Gov. Mitch Daniels' efforts to institute daylight-saving time. The bill swap will occur today in a House committee, with written approval from Sen. Marvin Riegsecker, R-Goshen.

Riegsecker said the Senate Republican caucus also has approved the swap, which will ensure that Senate Bill 127 has just one topic: daylight-saving time. That is crucial for Senate consideration of the unique subject, as Senate rules do not allow a mix of dissimilar subjects in the same bill.

"All along, I've supported the daylight-saving time issue," Riegsecker said. "That's not new. I feel the issue probably does deserve a vote." Riegsecker agreed to the swap Monday afternoon, before a phone call from Daniels asking him to do so. "I'm not sure who put the finger on that (speed limit) bill," Riegsecker said Tuesday. But he did note that another pending bill on speed limits can readily absorb his bill. * * *

As for Riegsecker's speed-limit bill, the language will move to Senate Bill 217, which raises speed limits on all rural interstates. Riegsecker's bill would boost speed limits from 55 mph to 65 mph on all Indiana freeways, which include the U.S. 20 bypass in Elkhart and St. Joseph counties.

[Update] A 5:24PM update in the Star reports:
Hoosiers would change their clocks on June 5 in observance of Daylight Saving Time under legislation approved today by a House committee.

Senate Bill 127, which is no longer a bill about raising speed limits, could be voted on by the full House as early as Tuesday.

The House Public Policy and Veterans Affairs committee voted 8-4 in favor of the measure, signaling broad support in the House for switching Hoosier clocks. * * *

This legislation, which would bring Indiana’s clocks in line with 47 other states and 40 other counties, would not change Hoosiers’ time zones.

However, the bill urges Gov. Mitch Daniels to petition the federal Department of Transportation to conduct hearings on whether Indiana’s time zones should be changed.

Currently, most of Indiana is in the Eastern time zone, with 77 counties observing Eastern Standard Time year-round. A few counties in northwest, southwest and southeast Indiana observe daylight-saving time, aligning their clocks with Chicago or New York in the summer.

Though those who observe Daylight Saving Time move their clocks forward in April, and back in October, the June 5 date gives businesses time to adjust. And, perhaps as important, it doesn’t interfere with the May running of the Indianapolis 500.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on March 30, 2005 03:34 PM
Posted to Indiana Law