After decades of failed legislative attempts, a bill that aims to end daylight saving time in Colorado was delayed by a state Senate committee Tuesday.

Senate Bill 135 proposes putting a statewide measure on the November ballot to exempt Colorado from recognizing daylight saving time, leaving the state in Mountain Standard Time year-round. The bill is still up for consideration, but the Senate State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee did not set a new date for tackling the bill.

“I just want to stop changing the dang clocks,” said bill sponsor Sen. Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village.

During daylight saving time – the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November – time is advanced one hour. While this change results in longer days and later sunsets, opponents said it also disrupts sleep schedules, causes traffic accidents and is a general bi-yearly annoyance.

Colorado lawmakers have tried for more than 30 years to end the flipping back and forth between Mountain Standard Time and daylight saving time, with the first effort led by then-Sen. Bill Schroeder, R-Morrison, in 1988.

The pleas have continued in recent years, with Colorado bills and ballot proposals to make standard time year-round introduced in 2019, 2017 and 2015. Other efforts have aimed to make daylight saving time year-round in 2020, 2019, 2017 and 2015. All of the bills were immediately rejected by committees, failing to make it to the full state House or Senate for consideration.

“It seems that most people just want to stop the madness,” said bill sponsor Sen. Ray Scott, R-Grand Junction. “They just want to lock the clock, whether it’s daylight saving time or standard time. … The sentiment around the country is starting to show itself. More and more states are making these decisions.”

It is against federal law for states to implement year-round daylight saving time, though they can use year-round standard time, as Hawaii and Arizona do. In the last four years, 18 states have passed legislation to make daylight saving time year-round if Congress decides to allow the change, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The bill sponsors said they might add a provision to SB-135 stating that, if Congress changes the law, Colorado would automatically switch from year-round standard time to year-round daylight saving time. However, since 2018, Congress has tried and failed each year to pass legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent. 

Kathleen Flynn, an Arvada resident, was the only person to testify at Tuesday’s committee meeting. Flynn said she has testified in support of every proposal to get rid of daylight saving time over the years.

“Please pass this bill. Please don’t lay it over again,” Flynn begged before the committee laid over the bill. “I find it depressing to get up in the dark every day and go to bed right after the sun sets. It’s disconcerting, at least, for everyone to have to change the time on their clocks every year for absolutely no purpose.”

The switch to daylight saving time takes place this year on Sunday, March 13.