An Act to repeal 175.095; to amend 125.32 (3) (a), 125.68 (4) (c) 1. and 990.001 (12) of the statutes; Relating to: eliminating daylight saving time in Wisconsin.
Summary
AB160 would eliminate daylight saving time in Wisconsin by repealing the state statute that currently governs the annual spring-forward/fall-back schedule. The bill would leave Wisconsin on standard time year-round, which the bill notes is permissible under federal law for a state that lies entirely within one time zone, provided the change applies statewide.
To implement that change, the bill amends several alcohol-licensing statutes that currently make special closing-hour exceptions for the Sunday daylight saving time begins. Those provisions would be updated so the affected premises would no longer need to account for the one-hour time change in their closing times. The bill also amends a general time-reference statute so that references to time would continue to be tied to the applicable state time standard, and it sets the act to take effect on the first January 1 after publication.
Impact
The bill would repeal s. 175.095 and remove daylight saving time from Wisconsin law, effectively shifting the state to permanent standard time if implemented. It would also revise statutes governing closing hours for certain alcohol-licensed premises, including Class XBY, XClass BY, and XClass CY licensees, by deleting the special daylight-saving-time exception for the Sunday in March when clocks move forward. The measure would affect timekeeping rules across the state and would primarily impact businesses regulated by the alcohol licensing code, as well as state and local entities that rely on statutory time references.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to gauge support or opposition. Based on the bill’s introduction and subject matter, the proposal appears to be a policy-driven effort to simplify timekeeping and end the biannual clock change rather than a technical cleanup bill. The bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1, indicating it did not advance to enactment.
Contention
The main point of contention is the policy choice to eliminate daylight saving time altogether, which can raise concerns about federal compatibility, business operations, and public preference for seasonal time changes. Another likely issue is the effect on alcohol-licensed premises and their required closing hours, since the bill would remove a special exception tied to the spring time change. Because there were no recorded committee discussions in the provided materials, specific arguments from supporters or opponents are not available.
Crossfiled
An Act to repeal 175.095; to amend 125.32 (3) (a), 125.68 (4) (c) 1. and 990.001 (12) of the statutes; Relating to: eliminating daylight saving time in Wisconsin.