60% of California Voters Approved Ending Daylight Saving Time Switches in 2018, Yet Lawmakers Remain Stalled

California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 7 in November 2018, granting the state legislature the power to establish a year-round time standard and end the biannual practice of switching between Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time. Despite 59.75% of voters supporting the measure, nearly six years later, state lawmakers have yet to implement a permanent solution, leaving Californians to continue adjusting their clocks. The original tweet highlighted this ongoing inaction, stating, "This is your biannual reminder that 60% of Californians voted to end switching between daylight saving and standard time in 2018. State lawmakers still haven't acted on it."

Proposition 7, officially titled the "Legislative Power to Change Daylight Saving Time Measure," did not immediately abolish time changes. Instead, it repealed Proposition 12 from 1949, which had established Daylight Saving Time in California, and empowered the legislature to alter the time period by a two-thirds vote, provided such changes complied with federal law. This crucial distinction meant that legislative action was still required to enact the voters' will.

The primary hurdle for state lawmakers lies in federal regulations. While federal law permits states to opt for permanent Standard Time year-round, establishing permanent Daylight Saving Time requires approval from the U.S. Congress. Following the passage of Proposition 7, Assemblymember Kansen Chu introduced Assembly Bill 7 in 2019, which aimed to implement year-round Daylight Saving Time in California, pending federal authorization. However, the bill ultimately failed in committee in 2020, stalling further progress.

Proponents of ending time changes often cite potential health benefits and negligible energy savings. Studies presented during the Proposition 7 campaign highlighted increased risks of heart attacks and strokes in the days following the spring forward. Conversely, concerns have been raised about the impact of permanent time changes on trade with neighboring regions and the potential for dark winter mornings under year-round Daylight Saving Time.

As of late 2025, California continues to observe the biannual time changes, moving clocks forward in March and back in November. The path forward remains complex, requiring a two-thirds majority in the state legislature to agree on either permanent Standard Time or to pursue federal approval for permanent Daylight Saving Time. Despite the clear mandate from voters in 2018, legislative consensus on this issue has proven elusive.