Texarkana's Wildest Radio Station!
Texarkana's Wildest Radio Station!
July 15, 2026
WASHINGTON — The twice-a-year ritual of changing the clocks moved a step closer to ending this week — but it isn't over the finish line, and an Arkansas senator may stand in the way.
The U.S. House on Tuesday passed the Sunshine Protection Act by a vote of 308-117. The bill would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, ending the practice of "springing forward" in March and "falling back" in November. Backed by President Trump and sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., the measure would lock the country onto the later-sunset time observed from March to November.
Importantly, the bill is not yet law. It now heads to the Senate, where its future is uncertain, and would then require the president's signature before taking effect. Under the measure, individual states could exempt themselves and remain on standard time year-round if they act before the law takes effect — as Arizona and Hawaii already do.
For the Ark-La-Tex, there's a notable local angle: Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton has been one of the bill's most prominent opponents. Cotton blocked an attempt to fast-track the legislation in 2024, and a senior aide said this week that he holds the "same concerns" and plans to ask Senate leadership not to bring it up for a vote. Cotton has warned that permanent daylight saving time would push winter sunrises past 9 a.m. in some areas, creating dark morning commutes and leaving children waiting for school buses before dawn.
Supporters counter that Americans overwhelmingly want to stop changing the clocks — polls have found roughly three in four favor a permanent, fixed time — and argue the switch would benefit sleep schedules, health, traffic safety, and the economy while giving families more evening daylight.
For now, nothing changes. Clocks are still set to "fall back" this November unless the Senate acts and the bill becomes law.