Does Indiana Change Time? An Expert's Perspective

Daylight saving time starts at 2 in the morning, the second Sunday in March when the clocks go forward one hour. Every year, Americans in all but two states adjust their clocks an hour in advance and lose some sleep. Two states in Hawaii and most of Arizona observe a permanent standard time, which means they don't change their clocks at all. Standard time is the time between November and March.

In the past four years, 18 states have enacted laws or resolutions to keep residents' daylight saving time throughout the year, pending congressional approval. This year alone, nearly 30 states are considering daylight saving time legislation. In some cases, even if the legislation is passed, it will not be able to take effect until neighboring states make the same move.

In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, implementing the current daylight saving time observed by 48 states. The Department of Transportation now attributes energy conservation, accident prevention, and crime reduction to daylight saving time. Indiana uses daylight saving time.

Detractors of daylight saving time say scientific studies evaluating the impact of the time policy change on daylight saving time in Indiana have identified a significant increase in energy use and electricity spending by Indiana households. Supporters of daylight saving time and a common time zone in Indiana often claim that Indiana should adopt the Eastern United States timing system to preserve interstate business with that region.

In 1985, the Indiana General Assembly asked the USDOT to move five counties in southwest Indiana (Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Spencer, and Gibson) from the Central Time Zone to the Eastern Time Zone. Several counties in eastern Indiana (Ohio and Dearborn counties, near Cincinnati; and Floyd, Clark, and Harrison counties, near Louisville) chose to observe daylight saving time unofficially.

Indiana enacted a statute officially placing northwest and southwest Indiana in the Central Time Zone, in observance of daylight saving time settings, and the rest of the state in Eastern Standard Time throughout the year.

Daylight Saving Time is an important part of life for many Americans. It helps us save energy and money while also providing us with more hours of sunlight during our days. While some states have chosen to stay on standard time year-round or switch to permanent daylight saving time, Indiana has chosen to stick with its current policy of changing its clocks twice a year.

The debate over whether or not to change time is ongoing in many states across America. While some argue that it is necessary for energy conservation and crime prevention, others argue that it is an outdated practice that should be abolished altogether. In any case, it is important for all Americans to understand how their state handles Daylight Saving Time so they can plan accordingly.