9 March—The semiannual time shift came and went early this morning—like clockwork, you might say—when most people were sleeping and unable to celebrate the occasion. Not that most people—any people—would celebrate setting clocks and watches forward in the spring and backward in the fall. Switching between standard time and daylight saving time is unnecessary in principle and a pain in the ass in practice.

According to a January Gallup poll (which one would like to think is accurately reflective of public sentiment), 48 percent of Americans would prefer to have permanent standard time. Half as many (to save you doing the long division, that’s 24 percent) would prefer permanent daylight saving time. Nineteen percent prefer to maintain useless, counterproductive, absolutely stupid semiannual time shifting. That leaves nine percent who are either unsure or don’t give a damn.

Remember when our self-serving representatives and senators in Washington with the full approval and cooperation of Donald Trump were going to “lock the clock,” as one senator bill cleverly put it? So what happened?

Same old same old happened. Other crap came up in both houses—mostly unproductive partisan warfare, not just the usual, somewhat less unproductive partisan bickering. Year-round time even was mooted at the start of the current session. Then it disappeared.

But it’s back now, courtesy of Utah Republican Representative Celeste Maloy’s Daylight Act. Her proposal gives states the choice of changing clocks or staying on year-round daylight saving time. That essentially reverses the default of the current Uniform Time Act of 1966 which gives states the option of staying on year-round standard time. Arizona and Hawaii are the only states that have done that. Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa also keep year-round standard time, but they’re not states.

So why, you wonder, given the current legislation, do we need anything else? The difference, as you’ve doubtless noted, is in the default. Rep. Maloy’s legislation would default to permanent daylight saving time rather than standard time. She claims that the benefits of daylight saving time include lower energy costs, better health, increased productivity, boosted economy, and reduced crime.

Unless Utah is very special, Rep. Maloy is delusional regarding the alleged advantages of daylight saving time, year-round or otherwise. But at least she’s right on the mark when she says, “Let’s pass this bill in Congress and end the outdated practice of changing our clocks twice a year.” Even though it’s not really needed, to be sure.

Donald Trump, on the other hand, suggested as recently as last week that he’d support doing away with daylight saving time but wouldn’t commit to taking executive action, calling it “a 50-50 issue.” Not quite and not that public sentiment means bupkes to him.

As things stand, any state can lock the clock on standard time. Since that’s obviously the better—even the best—way to go, you wonder why only Arizona and Hawaii have done it. The comparative and superlative of “good” probably explain it.

That said, it clearly would be more convenient and efficient if all the states, including Canada and Mexico, observed a year-round time, whatever it may be. But it should be standard time . . .