Oklahoma’s Half-Hour Fix for the Daylight Saving Time Debate

Oklahoma’s had this back-and-forth argument about permanent daylight saving time for what feels like forever. Honestly, it's every time the clocks move since at least 2018. Some headline pops up about “making it permanent,” and for a brief moment, it sounds like we’re finally going to stop changing the clocks. But, of course, nothing ever actually happens.

The Never-Ending Time Change Debate

It’s not just us, either. The folks up in Washington have been arguing about it for years, too busy wasting our tax dollars and time while the rest of us keep trying to remember which microwave clock we forgot to change.

At the heart of the debate is the one big question. Do we stick with permanent daylight saving time or permanent standard time. And like everything else in life, both sides are convinced their way is the only way.

Why Oklahomans Can’t Agree on Time

Honestly, it's about 50/50 across the state. I would rather have permanent DST so the sun would still shine until 6:30 PM in the dead of winter, but I would also love for the sun to set at 8:30 PM in the summer on standard time. I'd be cool with flipping DST altogether.

My cousin, who lives the rural/agricultural life in Western OK, likes it how it is. He's an early riser, would rather have that morning sun as early as possible year-round.

We talked about it a bit in the Hutch's parking lot when we saw each other this weekend and I think we came up with a solution. Why don't we just split the time right down the middle?

A Half-Hour Compromise for Everyone

Instead of picking one or the other, Oklahoma and America could just go permanently halfway in between. A half-hour shift. Done. The sun wouldn’t set too early, mornings wouldn’t start in the dark, and maybe, just maybe, everyone could stop arguing about it.

Think about it. No more “spring forward” panic or “fall back” confusion. No more dragging through the first week after the time change. Just steady daylight, the same every day of the year.

Sure, it sounds a little odd, but honestly, at this point, it makes more sense than anything else coming out of D.C. And if it takes a little Oklahoma ingenuity to fix a national problem, well… wouldn’t be the first time.

Would You Take the Half-Hour Deal?

What do you think? Is splitting the half-hour a solid compromise to finally fix the constant clock-changing?