We’re glad that one prime concern we’ve raised about switching Nebraska to year-round daylight saving time has been resolved — for now, at least.

Legislative Bill 143, state Sen. Tom Briese’s latest such bill, wouldn’t set up an unacceptable change-your-clock two-step for cross-country drivers in our neck of the woods (er, Plains).

That’s because Colorado passed its own bill last June saying it, too, would switch to year-round DST if enough bordering states did the same.

Of course, none of this matters unless Congress lets states choose that option.

Currently, states can opt for year-round standard time — as Arizona does — but can’t legally do year-round DST.

Because Nebraska is split between Mountain and Central time — just 30 miles west of North Platte — we needed Colorado to change the same way we would. If either changes at all.

Why? Because our state line lies just 50 miles even farther west, just past where Interstate 76 leaves I-80 for Denver.

Different choices, as we noted here last March, would make motorists change clocks twice — at the state line and at the Keith-Lincoln county line — within an 80-mile stretch.

What if Nebraska chose year-round standard time and Colorado year-round DST?

You’d be switching clocks one way at one line and back again at the other — because Keith County would be an hour behind both Lincoln County and Colorado.

As long as senators don’t try to change Briese’s bill and go for year-round standard time, that nightmare won’t occur. Whew.

With that settled, do Nebraskans really want to go to work and send kids to school in the dark in December and January?

For Central Time Nebraskans near the time-zone line, the sun wouldn’t rise around Christmas until after 9 a.m. CDT. Close Mountain Time neighbors wouldn’t see the sun until after 8 a.m. MDT.

Back in January 1974, when Congress forced year-round DST, people howled loud and long about starting winter days in the dark. Washington had to back off.

We think today’s Nebraskans might not like what senators say we’re telling them they want.

But there’s a time for everything…

This editorial first appeared in the North Platte Telegraph on February 12, 2023. It was distributed by The Associated Press.