In the wee hours of Sunday morning, Californians (and most of the country) will have to move their clocks one hour forward, starting eight months of daylight saving time. The change means we get to experience more daylight later in the day, but the sudden hour of lost sleep can be jarring for some people — and can even increase health risks, experts say.
Didn’t Californians vote on this issue? Yes, sort of, but it isn’t quite that simple.
In November 2018, voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 7. However, the measure only allowed the Legislature to change daylight saving time, either by establishing it year-round or abolishing it.
A change still requires a two-thirds majority of the state Assembly and Senate and the governor’s signature. Permanently keeping daylight saving time also requires congressional action — and that hasn’t happened.