Lawmaker wants permanent daylight saving time in Oklahoma

(NewsNation Now) — One Oklahoma lawmaker’s efforts to make daylight saving time year-round could be a reality in his state.

Sen. Blake Stephens is hoping to lock the clocks in Oklahoma by making daylight saving time permanent.

“It’s gonna be a fantastic deal for Oklahoma. It’s gonna improve our quality of life,” Stephens said. “I’m trying to move the clock where it makes the most sense,”

Stephens is holding an interim study at the state Capitol on Tuesday morning to discuss the benefits of having extra daylight hours at the end of the day, rather than at the start.

He argues it could improve mental health, physical health and even the economy.

“As farmers and ranchers, that extra hour in the evening is paramount. We’re talking about our health. Vitamin D is in the sun. It’s a natural in the natural form. There is such a thing as seasonal depression. It’s real.”

Permanent daylight saving time is not currently allowed by federal law, but there is a bill working to change that. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s Sunshine Protection Act., the bill co-sponsored by Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford, would need to pass before Oklahoma can make daylight saving time permanent.

“There’s already 18 other states that have passed this legislation that I’m working on, or similar legislation that locks the clock on daylight saving time, since 2018,” Stephens said.

But they haven’t enacted it yet until the federal law changes.

Dept. of Family Services union walkout in Las Vegas

Dozens of Department of Family Services union members in Las Vegas are picketing over unsafe working conditions.

Union workers say that some of the employees have been abused by children. They also claim that they’re not staffed properly and are not trained or qualified to provide children with severe mental illness and autism with the treatment that they need.

The picketers have been on the street since about 5:30 a.m. local time, according to NewsNation affiliate reporter Hector Mija.

Picketing union members are not only holding the state accountable but also Clark County, which runs the emergency shelter facility.

The county said that over the last month it has been working to hire more staff. It said that during the coronavirus it was forced to put a pause on hiring.