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It's time to "spring" forward! Sunday, March 9 marks the return to daylight saving time as clocks jump ahead one hour. The Great Debate The Uniform Time Act of 1966 standardized daylight saving time, but the time-change origin dates back much further. Railroads introduced standard time zones in the U.S. and Canada in 1883. The Standard Time Act of 1918 made this official and also established daylight saving time, a controversial idea at the time. Daylight saving time was repealed in 1919, but standard time zones remained. It was re-established nationally during World War II, and after the war, its use varied by state. Where we stand Forty-eight states currently operate under daylight saving time, with the exceptions of Arizona and Hawaii. At least 30 states have considered or are considering legislative measures pertaining to daylight saving time. None of those bills or laws can take effect until there is a federal repeal of the congressional act.President Donald Trump has said he would push to dissolve the use of Daylight Saving Time, but no concrete action has been taken to change federal law at this time.What would this change look like? Signing an executive order to eliminate DST nationwideSupporting new congressional legislation, similar to the Sunshine Protection Act Giving each state the option to decide whether to observe DST or standard time year-round Alabama passed an act to make daylight saving time permanent in May 2021 but is still waiting approval from Congress. Consider the consequence Daylight saving time has long been a contentious issue, sparking debate and controversy. Regardless of preference, the time change is all about making the best use of daylight. It's important to note the amount of daylight does not change. During the winter, standard time gives us more daylight hours in the morning instead of the evening. The opposite is true in the spring when we shift back to daylight saving time.Sure there are pros and cons, who doesn't get excited over an extra hour of sleep? The real issue lies in our internal clocks aligning with the sunrise and sunset times. If Alabama instituted daylight saving time permanently, we'd keep a late sunset through the summer, but the sun would not rise until almost 8 a.m. in January. If standard time was implemented year-round, the sun would rise before 7 a.m. in January, but set earlier in the summer. For the latest Birmingham weather information and Central Alabama's certified most accurate forecast, watch �������� 13 News.Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram.