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Senate OKs bill to give Georgia voters daylight saving say
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Photo by Federico Respini on Unsplash

ATLANTA — Georgia residents could soon get to vote on whether to keep changing their clocks twice a year for daylight saving time under a bill that unanimously passed the state Senate on Monday.

The bill, which passed 53-0, would add a nonbinding referendum question to ballots during this year’s November general election. Voters would be asked if the state should keep things as they are today, switch to year-round standard time or switch to year-round daylight saving time, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The outcome of the nonbinding vote wouldn’t result in any immediate change, but would be used to draft future legislation.

State Sen. Bill Heath, a Republican from Bremen who co-sponsored Senate Bill 351, said he was struck by studies that suggest the annual time change could have a negative effect on people’s health.

A mirror piece of legislation in the state House has not yet made it through committee.

Permanently moving to daylight saving time would require approval from Congress.