Whatever happened to staying on Daylight Saving Time in Florida?

CENTRAL FLORIDA — Most Americans will "fall back" this weekend with the end of Daylight Saving Time.

Yes, you'll gain an hour of sleep Saturday night. Yes, the sun will start setting earlier.

But wait a minute -- didn't Florida decide to get rid of the whole "spring forward, fall back" thing?

Yes, Florida. Yes, we did.

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In March 2018, Florida had a brief moment of bipartisan agreement when the state legislature voted to keep the state on Daylight Saving Time year-round.

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This would have meant Florida wouldn't join the rest of the country each November in turning the clocks back one hour. During the winter months, much of Florida would technically be one hour ahead of the Eastern Time Zone (can you imagine how hard it would be to decode what time your favorite shows are on?).

The move, which enjoyed broad support in both chambers, was quickly signed into law by former Gov. Rick Scott.

And that's as far as the story goes.

The stroke of the governor's pen isn't enough for Florida to freeze time. The United States Congress, not the Florida Legislature, gets the final say on when, or if, Florida gets to quit changing its clocks twice a year.

Congress has failed to pass this kind of change before.

The idea of Daylight Saving Time has only been a part of the country's lexicon for about 50 years. Congress passed the Uniform Time Act in 1966. It was designed to save the country energy and, therefore, money. Congress tweaked it again in 2007, when Daylight Saving Time was extended by three weeks in the spring and one week in the fall.

Some argue whether Daylight Saving Time has actually offered any real savings.

Florida isn't the only state questioning the worth of Daylight Saving Time. In November 2018, Californians approved a similar proposition to keep Daylight Saving Time year-round, but the law has not been passed because -- you guessed it -- it has to be approved by the U.S. Congress.

So far seven states have approved state legislation to make DST permanent, but they still need congressional approval to put it in effect.

So for now: Sorry, Florida. You have to keep changing the clocks twice a year like everybody else.

One more reminder to impress your friends: It's called Daylight Saving Time -- not Daylight Savings (plural) Time. You're welcome.

Cox Media Group