Kenny Titus, Kansas State Senator, On Ending Daylight Saving Time | 3-19-26

0:00Every day, excessive delays and denials from big insurers keep patients from accessing the care they need. And when care is urgent, these delays can be disastrous. These practices cost billions in wasteful spending, driving up costs for American families. But while big insurers put up barriers, America's hospitals and health systems are in your corner, navigating endless reviews and appeals to get you the care you need when you need it most. It's time to curb these harmful practices and put the focus back on patients. Brought to you by the coalition to strengthen America's health care. Could Kansas be the first to end daylight saving time in the region and potentially trigger a movement across the state line. We'll see Kansas State Center Kenny Titus, who represents Potawatomi Jefferson and Shawnee County is here on KCMO talk radio 95 7 FM. He introduced a bill and is moving ahead with a bill that would end springing forward in Kansas. That means we would fall back in the fall and we would never spring forward again.

1:01That would be permanent standard time. Senator Titus is here on KCMO. All right. Senator, first thing, where does this bill stand right now? So good morning, Pete and everybody, it's good to be on the bill passed out on Tuesday, our last day of regular hearings out of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee. And then it's on the calendar in the full house. So it's already passed the Senate last year. Now it's got one more step in the House, but it unfortunately did not get pulled above the line is what we call it for debate today. So it's still technically alive. It could be worked to do a conference committee. It's been heard on both sides. So there may be some opportunities to slide it in next week, but I don't think we're going to get any moving on it today. Okay. All right. So what led you to listen, I'm a big fan of it. I've been a lobbying for standard time for the last couple of weeks since we sprung ahead. But what led you to want to make this proposal and try to get this piece of legislation through? You know, it started as a group of neighbors.

2:03We all have small kids and there was a lot of complaining about switching the clocks. And if you, you know, when you go through with the small kids, that's a pain every year. And someone said, hey, couldn't you do something about this? And I thought, well, maybe. And so I started doing some research looked at the law and said, yeah, we can. So last year, I introduced what ended up being Senate bill one and it really took off. It had grew a pair of legs on its own and has drawn far more tensions than I thought. There are a lot of people that are really passionate about this. Okay. Now, I'm with you, obviously, but it seems like more people are against us. More people want to spring ahead and never fall back again. I, you know, I've seen some of the research. I'm sure that you've seen that shows the body is better off being on permanent standard time. The body does not need to be up later. It's healthier to be on permanent standard time. So what research stood out to you on this issue that made you a permanent standard time guy? Yeah. The health research is just, if you can't match it with how much better permanent standard

3:06time is for you. The medical community almost unanimously supports standard time. When you look at the arguments for daylight savings time permanently, it's really an argument about economics because people like to go out in the evening and they're more like likely to leave the house and, you know, spend money somewhere to store a restaurant if the daylight lasts longer. But the health benefits just aren't there. And so the other thing that stood out when I researched this, I hadn't realized it in the 1970s during the energy crisis. For about two years, the United States was actually on permanent daylight savings time. And it was so unpopular that they, it only took them 18 months or like, we can't do this again because children were going to school in the dark every month. And a bunch of kids lost their lives in the dark and the more. Yeah. It was, it was not, it was not a good. And there have been a couple other countries that have tried it. And no one's been able to make it work, but primarily because of those reasons. So it's just not a feat of a lot. And if you're tired of switching clocks, standard time is really the only choice.

4:07Yeah. Now, there is, of course, a caveat to this where even if it got through the legislature, Missouri would have to also join you in order to make this thing officially law because obviously here in Kansas City, you know, you can't have people going across the state line and suddenly switching time zones, considering how regional our economy is. So if we get to that point, how's Kansas going to lobby Missouri on this? I think there'll be a good amount of outreach. You know, that, that amendment actually got put on by your very own Senator Mike Thompson from Johnson County there. And I thought it was a good, good change last year. I've had several people reach out to say that Missouri would be really excited if we passed this and got the momentum going. And it sounds like there's real interest over there in moving something forward. If we can, we can just get this across the line. It's, it's been interesting because there's the people that are passionate about it. But there's a lot of people that just kind of say, oh, I don't know if I'm willing to take this seriously or not.

5:08And so, you know, we can make a real change. And it's just getting folks to really tune into this and realize there's an opportunity here. What's the partisan breakdown on this, if at all, or is it fairly bipartisan? Very bipartisan. The biggest breakdown I've seen is if you're retired and you like to play golf, you love daylight. I knew it. Yep. If you have young kids in the house and raising a family and fighting through the time, switch. You really like standard time. That's, that's been the biggest quote unquote, partisan divide I've found. That's, that's what I've noticed too, you know, the only people that really want permanent daylight saving time are, are those who, you know, whose kids are gone and like golfing. I mean, and that's true in DC as well. You know, there's been some talk about going on permanent daylight saving time at a Washington. And from what I've gathered, that's mostly been pushed by the golf lobby in Florida because it's good for them to have longer, you know, days or not longer days. But more daylight on the back end, especially in the winter time down in Florida for golf

6:09purposes. So that, that's your read on it here in Kansas as well. Yeah. That, that's absolutely right. And what about the farmer angle? Because there was always a belief that the farmers need more time at the end of the day. You know, that, that's some interesting history when you really dig into that and, and read what some of the farm groups have said over time, we get that story told well. We did this. So farmers have more daylight. But there's never been a point in time when farmers didn't just use the daylight regardless of what hours was what, what really happened was we changed because of World War One. We wanted to have factory workers to have more time in the factories in daylight because there was less electrical lighting back then. And so it passed, it ended after World War One. We did the exact same thing at World War Two again, not because of farmers, but because of our factories. And then for some reason, after World War Two, it just never went away and it's been with us ever since. So the farm argument is kind of a misnomer historically speaking, anyway. Kenny Titus, State Center, Potawatomi Jefferson and Shawnee counties on KCMO. He's leading the way on CNF Kansas can be the first to end daylight saving time, meaning

7:14we would not spring ahead, just fall back and never change the clocks again. Hey, I'm rooting for you, Senator Titus, I appreciate you being here on KCMO talk radio and good luck. We'll talk to you soon and we'll do it. We can in our end. Thanks so much. Yeah. Appreciate it to take care. All right. Nice job. I'm all in, man. I am all in. When you really need care, you need 24-7 access to a care team, not a maze of paperwork from a third party. Every day, America's hospitals and health systems show up for you, navigating healthcare can feel overwhelming, but you can count on real doctors, real nurses, real people, providing quality around the clock care when you need it most. They're in your corner. In communities across America, your neighbors, your lifelines, right beside you holding your hand and helping find answers. That's what putting patients first actually means. Learn more at strengthinhealthcare.org. Watch you by the Coalition to Strength in America's Health Care. The NFL Draft presented by Bud Light is coming to Pittsburgh and it's your chance to witness the future of the game for free. From April 23 to April 25, feel the energy of the NFL Draft.

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