(WXYZ) — Get ready to lose an hour this weekend as Daylight Saving Time is almost here, but if one state lawmaker has her way, it could be the last chance in Michigan.
State Rep. Michele Hoitenga has introduced a bill to stop the time change. She said the debate isn't about whether to stop it, but which direction we should stick with.
"I have seen study after study for heart attacks, for school-aged kids, crime, it affects crime," Hoitenga said.
The effects of the time change on our sleep and productivity take center stage once again. Over 100 years ago, the system was introduced to reduce electricity usage and make more use of daylight.
Hoitenga said it's more of a liability, so she introduced a bill to put an end to the back-and-forth change.
"Do we need that extra hour of daylight at the end of the day or in the morning?" she asked.
Fifteen other states currently have a resolution or similar legislation, but she feels the issue should be settled at the federal level, and points out that U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio just introduced a bill to end Daylight Saving Time nationwide.
"All of us are walking around with some amount of sleep deprivation and then suddenly we are waking up with one hour less," Henry Ford Sleep Lab Medical Director Dr. Meeta Singh said.
She said sleep is just as important as a healthy diet and exercise, while poor sleep impacts every aspect of your health and safety.
"According to the National Traffic Highway Safety Board, that day after Daylight Saving is the maximum number of car accidents that happens in the early morning hours because they're still sleepy while they're driving," Singh said.
The vote is now up for a vote in the Commerce and Tourism Committee. Hoitenga hopes it's voted out and makes the House floor for a full vote.
She said she's also looking for someone in the Senate to sponsor a coinciding bill.
