A new effort is underway to end Daylight Saving Time in Michigan.
State lawmakers returned to the Capitol Wednesday for a new session and a bill was introduced on the first day.
The house bill was introduced by a group of representatives including Republican Tom Barrett of Eaton County, Sam Singh of East Lansing and four other lawmakers.
The legislation would put Michigan on Eastern Standard Time year round, instead of losing an hour of sleep in the spring and then gaining an hour each fall. A similar bill was introduced back in 2015 to get rid of Daylight Saving Time but went nowhere.
There have been many studies about the dangers of gaining or losing that hour of sleep. Some health experts say there are more heart attacks on the Monday following the change. There are also studies about increased risks of strokes after the switch. Researchers say the risk is likely related to interrupted sleep patterns.
If the bill is passed by the Michigan House and Senate and signed into law by Governor Rick Snyder, Michigan would join Hawaii and Arizona. Those two states do no observer Daylight Saving Time.
