When the legislature reconvenes for the 2018 General Assembly Session, Senator Eric Bassler of Washington has said he will file a bill to move the state to Central Time.
The bill is one of two he will file concerning school bus safety. On October 30th, three kids were killed at a school bus stop in Rochester by a truck whose driver allegedly disregarded school bus stop arms and lights. It was dark at the time of the morning tragedy. He says had it been daylight, lives may have been saved. Bassler says thousands of kids wait on buses in the dark in the first few late summer and fall months of school due to the time. Central Time would mean those kids would board a bus in the daylight.
Bassler says he realizes nothing will be passed this session but he wants to start the conversation of moving the entire state to Central Time. He also says many live in one time zone and work in another which causes havoc for workers and families and business. Currently 12 Indiana counties observe Central Time. Several are here in Southwest Indiana while the others are in Northwest Indiana.