To: The Indiana State House, The Indiana State Senate, and Governor Eric Holcomb
Restore Central Time To All Of Indiana
Hoosiers know there is something wrong with morning darkness that places our children in danger, and they are angry with legislators because they appear to be intentionally ignoring concerns that have repeatedly been brought to them. I believe there IS something wrong with morning darkness and the controversy is not going to go away.
There is an explanation about how this controversial situation developed. The answer is found in history. The way commerce was conducted in 1787 when the US Constitution delegated regulation of commerce to Congress has completely changed. Likewise, commerce has greatly evolved since the mid-1960s when Indiana was moved from Central to the Eastern Time Zone. Today’s instantaneous information transfer through e-technology makes moot the advantages to commerce of being in the Eastern Time Zone. In the meantime, Eastern Time in Indiana is causing many inconveniences for commerce. The demand for same-day delivery nationwide of products is prompting distribution centers to be located or relocated at more logistic hubs located in the Central Time Zone (Zimmer Orthopedics from Warsaw to Memphis). The permanent three-hour time difference with the West Coast is inconvenient for travel and direct communications between businesses and individuals. There is a growing trend for large corporations to locate/relocate their headquarters to locations in the Central Time Zone to be conveniently located within their customer base. The late delivery of nationally televised sporting and cultural events is inconvenient for Hoosier audiences. Indiana isn’t taking advantage of its natural central location.
The delivery of education has also evolved since the mid-1960s. Schools have been consolidated; most students travel distances by school bus, school start times are staggered to accommodate multiple bus routes with some schools starting as early as 7:15 a.m. Sunrise is now as late as 8:20 a.m. in Indiana and evening darkness as late as 9:30 p.m. during the school year – all of which adversely affect safety and educational well-being of Indiana’s 1.35 million students (20% of our population).
The Central Time Coalition firmly believes that wise decisions are made only by thorough evaluation of all of the facts. In September we sent a letter to all General Assembly candidates and incumbents requesting that a study committee be established to “objectively evaluate the consequences of our time zone designations as they affect the peace, safety and well-being of all Hoosiers” as promised to us in Indiana’s Constitution.
There is an explanation about how this controversial situation developed. The answer is found in history. The way commerce was conducted in 1787 when the US Constitution delegated regulation of commerce to Congress has completely changed. Likewise, commerce has greatly evolved since the mid-1960s when Indiana was moved from Central to the Eastern Time Zone. Today’s instantaneous information transfer through e-technology makes moot the advantages to commerce of being in the Eastern Time Zone. In the meantime, Eastern Time in Indiana is causing many inconveniences for commerce. The demand for same-day delivery nationwide of products is prompting distribution centers to be located or relocated at more logistic hubs located in the Central Time Zone (Zimmer Orthopedics from Warsaw to Memphis). The permanent three-hour time difference with the West Coast is inconvenient for travel and direct communications between businesses and individuals. There is a growing trend for large corporations to locate/relocate their headquarters to locations in the Central Time Zone to be conveniently located within their customer base. The late delivery of nationally televised sporting and cultural events is inconvenient for Hoosier audiences. Indiana isn’t taking advantage of its natural central location.
The delivery of education has also evolved since the mid-1960s. Schools have been consolidated; most students travel distances by school bus, school start times are staggered to accommodate multiple bus routes with some schools starting as early as 7:15 a.m. Sunrise is now as late as 8:20 a.m. in Indiana and evening darkness as late as 9:30 p.m. during the school year – all of which adversely affect safety and educational well-being of Indiana’s 1.35 million students (20% of our population).
The Central Time Coalition firmly believes that wise decisions are made only by thorough evaluation of all of the facts. In September we sent a letter to all General Assembly candidates and incumbents requesting that a study committee be established to “objectively evaluate the consequences of our time zone designations as they affect the peace, safety and well-being of all Hoosiers” as promised to us in Indiana’s Constitution.
Why is this important?
20,000 Hoosiers have signed petitions and 41 school boards have signed resolutions in support of Central Time for Indiana. On their behalf and that of the 1.35 million students whose safety and educational well-being are being compromised, and on behalf of the Indiana businesses that are being inconvenienced by Eastern Time, I request that a legislative study committee be established to evaluate Indiana’s time designations. That way an educated decision can be made to either keep it as it is or take the steps to return Indiana to its original Central Time Zone.
You are the state’s leaders and you have the power to get this done. Please, do it!
You are the state’s leaders and you have the power to get this done. Please, do it!