Kentucky doesn’t officially exempt itself from Daylight Saving Time, but it has considered doing so multiple times due to concerns over the health and safety impacts of changing the clocks twice a year. The primary reason lawmakers have proposed exempting Kentucky from observing Daylight Saving Time is based on scientific studies showing the disruption to people’s circadian rhythms caused by the biannual clock changes. Health experts, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, argue that daylight saving shifts increase risks of heart problems, mood disorders, and traffic accidents. Kentucky representatives have introduced bills aiming to keep the state on standard time year-round to avoid these negative effects.
Alongside Kentucky, Hawaii is the other state that does not observe Daylight Saving Time. Hawaii remains on standard time throughout the year, largely because its tropical latitude means there is little variation in daylight hours across seasons, making Daylight Saving Time unnecessary.
Kentucky’s movement toward abandoning Daylight Saving Time reflects a broader national discussion. Currently, the Uniform Time Act allows states to exempt themselves from Daylight Saving Time by staying on standard time year-round, but it does not permit states to stay on permanent daylight time without Congress’s approval. Efforts such as the Sunshine Protection Act propose nationwide year-round Daylight Saving Time, but these have not yet been enacted.
In essence, the very simple reason Kentucky has not fully embraced Daylight Saving Time is that lawmakers and health experts see more harm than benefit in the twice-yearly clock shifts. The state continues debating whether to follow the lead of Hawaii by sticking to standard time all year, prioritizing public health and biological rhythm alignment over the idea of extended evening daylight.
Sources
(https://www.lex18.com/news/state-of-the-commonwealth/kentucky-lawmaker-proposes-exempting-state-from-daylight-saving-time)
(https://www.transportation.gov/regulations/time-act)
(https://usafacts.org/articles/why-does-daylight-saving-time-exist/)
(https://www.ncsl.org/transportation/daylight-saving-time-state-legislation)
(https://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/daylight_time)
