How Many Berkshire Residents Wanted Permanent DST?

I asked you guys a simple question on our Facebook page this week: Do you want permanent Daylight Saving Time in Massachusetts? And you answered. Big time - and the results were not close!

72% of you said yes, you want permanent DST. 14% said no, keep the current system. And 14% said you'd rather see permanent Standard Time instead, meaning no more "springing forward," but also no more late sunsets in the summer.

The Sunshine Protection Act

So why does this matter right now? Because Congress might actually make the decision for all of us. In mid-July, the House passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which would end the twice-a-year clock change and lock the country into Daylight Saving Time for good. It passed with real bipartisan support, 308 votes to 117.

But before you start planning your November without a clock change, here's the catch. The bill still has to get through the Senate, and that's not a sure thing. Senator Tom Cotton has raised concerns about what permanent DST would mean for places where the sun wouldn't rise until 9 a.m. or later in the winter, think dark, dangerous morning commutes. And Senate Majority Leader John Thune hasn't sounded eager to bring it up for a vote either.

So here in the Berkshires, where our winter mornings are already plenty dark, that debate hits close to home. Based on what you told us, most of you are ready to ditch the clock change altogether. Whether Washington gets there is a different story.