Why doesn't Arizona observe daylight savings time?

Question

-I've heard varying myths including an explanation about A/C overload...

-I am aware of a single tribe in the state that observes daylight savings time though-

Answer 1

While energy conservation was the original inspiration why the rest of the country does it, the main reason that people in Arizona opposed it at the time it was inacted (1974) was simply because it is so hot in much of Arizona during the summer that many people wait until after sunset to do outdoor activities and thus do not want to push back sunset (and the cooler temperatures it brings) any further.

Here are the details:
The main reason for daylight savings in the United States has been for energy conservation. The idea is that more sunlight in the evening means that homes and stores don't have to turn on lights as early and thus save energy and fuel. The US (including Arizona) went on day light savings during both World War 1 and World War 2 to save fuel and energy for the war effort, but then went off after the wars were over. Over the following years, some states and even individual cities enacted it on a local basis.

The current national system of day light savings was implemented by a federal law called the 'Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act of 1973' in reponse to the oil shortage at that time (it was made permanent a year later). Prior to its passing, numerous citizen groups in Arizona sent in petitions for the state to be exempted from this and Arizona Governor Jack Williams also supported exemption. Arizona farmers were especially against it because they were often up early in the mornings when temps are cooler (A note regarding the poster above - after cooling off during the night, it is morning when you get both cool temps and daylight NOT evening).

An editorial in the Arizona Repubic newspaper at the time summed up the reasoning of many Arizona citizens (see link below):
"...we must wait until about 9 p.m. to start any night-time activity such as drive-in movies, moonlight rides, convincing little children it’s bedtime, etc. And it’s still hot as blazes!"

On the basis of the petitions and the pressure from Arizona politicians, the Nixon adminstration (through Transportation Secretary Claude Brinegar) granted that Arizona (as well as Hawaii and several other territories) be exempted from the law and it has been that way ever since.

It is true that the Navajo Indian Reservation DOES follow daylight savings, but the main reason is because the reservation stretches across 4 different states (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah). It was easier to keep the whole reservation on one system and since 3 of the 4 states use daylight savings, they went with that. Also the nearest major city to the reservation (Albuqurque, NM) is on daylight savings. Note that it is the Navajo reservation and NOT the Hopi reservation (as a poster states above) that follows daylight savings time. Ironically, even though the Hopi reservation is completely surrounded by the Navajo reservation, it still follows Arizona in NOT doing daylight savings. Also, note that the Navajo reservation covers about a seventh of the state in the NE corner, not a quarter.

Lastly, as a person who have lived most of my life in Arizona, I definitely agree with us NOT being on daylight savings. From June through August it is often still over 100 degrees an hour after sunset. Many people (including myself) wait until it is dark to play softball (lighted fields), go biking (bike lamps) or go hiking (head lamps).

Answer 2

Arizona Daylight Savings

Answer 3

Hello there, Hello There! (giggles)

It doesn't seem to make much sense to me either. It means that the sun in June comes up at 5:15 in the morning, when few are awake, and starts to set at 7:30. By the time people are beginning to wake up the heat is already starting to build. Meanwhile, the people have less light in the cooler part of the early evening.

About a quarter of Arizona's land area, the Hopi Nation, does turn its clocks ahead, and they seem to do just fine.

Worldwide, there are many countries that do not have daylight saving time:

- In some tropical nations, the difference between summer and winter is only about an hour or so, and they don't see any need to change. Hawaii is in this category.

- In Iceland, the sunset is already so late in June that another hour won't make any difference. (In September and October, however, it gets dark early there, while precious light is wasted in the early morning.)

- In some countries, especially Moslem countries, religion makes people hesitate. If God wanted us in an earlier time zone, He would have put us in an earlier time zone, is roughly what they say. Moslems don't like daylight saving time in the holy month of Ramadan because they would have to fast later into the evening.

- Some say that they don't like changing their clocks and perhaps don't know how in the case of digital clocks. I must say that I don't know what these people do if they travel to Europe or to another state in a different time zone, or what happens to their lives if there is a two-second power outage. (giggles)

- One writer said that the original reason for daylight time was to give workers an extra hour of light during their leisure time. Benjamin Franklin first suggested that, but I know of no nation that ever went to daylight time for that reason. It has always been to save energy. In World War I and World War II, the idea was conservation. Likewise in 2006 when Congress moved the date to the second Sunday of March. Better enjoyment of leisure time is a by-product of daylight time, but not the impetus for actually doing it.

- The most novel argument is the one Japan used for turning its clocks back and leaving them there: if there were an extra hour of light in the evenings, children would be tempted to go out and play, rather than staying inside and concentrating on their homework. In the age of video games and childhood obesity, I'm unsure how long this one is going to hold sway!

Answer 4

I don't see it anywhere but during Arizona's first DST - the state of Arizona lost a lot of Alcohol Taxes because of the human nature that goes along with drinking alcoholic beverages and dancing in the bars. People went out to the bars around 9:00 P.M. and only drank a few bottles by closing time (of 1:00 A.M.) At 8:00 P.M. the sun finally set and by 9:00 P.M. the crowd finally hit the bars and the bars didn't sell too many bottles of alcoholic beverages & who suffered? The Bars and the State Tax Revenue Service (on Alcohol Taxes).

Answer 5

Hawaii doesn't observe Daylight Savings Time either. It keeps getting voted down in the state legislature. Apparently, the people just don't want it.

Answer 6

RE:
Why doesn't Arizona observe daylight savings time?
-I've heard varying myths including an explanation about A/C overload...

-I am aware of a single tribe in the state that observes daylight savings time though-

Answer 7

The orginal reason for DST was so that factory workers back when kids still had to work in the factories never saw the light of summer, having to work 10 to 12 hour days.

By adjusting the clocks people got out to see more sun and where mentally happier. (so they claim). It has outlived its purpose and never applied in many places.

Az. and a city in the mid west never accepted this need.
Of course for some reason Arizona and Rhode Island are the only two states that let kids off school for Columbus day, why would a landlocked state care about Columbus anyway? So they do right one way and screw up another.

Answer 8

arizona observe daylight savings time

Answer 9

Arizona farmers were especially against it because they were often up early in the mornings when temps are cooler … so they wouldn't get up? nonsense… I've worked on farms and for the most part the clock's time is irrelevant.

Answer 10

When DST was instituted back in the early 1960's, states rights were in effect. Arizona, Hawaii, Alaska and Texas elected not to adopt it. Several agricultural states had long and loud legislative sessions before it was adopted.