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Lawmakers Propose Making Daylight Saving Time Year-Round

SEAN BUETER/WFDD

North Carolina's clocks recently sprang forward one hour due to daylight saving time. And now, some North Carolina legislators say it should stay that way all year long. 

A group of Republican lawmakers filed House Bill 350 this week. It would eliminate switching back and forth an hour, so there would no falling back in November. Supporters say it could help improve public safety and lead to healthier lifestyles.

Rep. Kelly Hastings of Cleveland County is one of the primary sponsors of the bill.

“When I was a kid, we were always outside," Hastings says. "But now, people are online and on computers so much that anything that encourages a little more time to be outside for those who are able to enjoy it, I think it's positive.”

Daylight saving time was first introduced nationwide during World War I as a way to conserve energy.

North Carolina would have to get congressional approval for the change. Other states, including South Carolina, have introduced similar measures.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio recently introduced a bill to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide.

President Trump has also shown support for the change on Twitter. On Monday, he tweeted, “Making Daylight Saving Time permanent is O.K. with me!”

 *Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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