A bill to do away with the annual time change is advancing in the Oklahoma legislature.

Senators passed Bill 7 yesterday that would stop Oklahoma from changing the clock twice a year and lock in Daylight Saving Time year round. Senator Blake Stephens says Oklahoma needs to be on the right side of this issue, and that locking the clock in DST has countless benefits, and will result in the state being safer, healthier, more productive and more profitable. This legislation relies on the Sunshine Protection Act to be passed at the federal level before being enacted in the state. The Sunshine Protection Act gives states the rights to choose to permanently adopt Daylight Saving Time or practice standard time. Nearly half of the states have already passed legislation to stop their clock, with 19 choosing DST. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.