Should Indiana move to Central Time Zone? Some state lawmakers think so

Several Indiana lawmakers want to move the state back to Central Time Zone.

State Sen. Greg Walker (R-Columbus) introduced a resolution in the State Senate urging the legislative council to study which time zone Indiana should be located. Sen. Mike Delph (R-Carmel) is also listed on the bill.

Indiana was under Central Time until 1965 when "existing technology" caused the move to Eastern Time to align with New York City and the eastern United States. That technology has been "negated" in the present day and the three-hour difference with the West Coast "creates costly inconveniences" in the business world.

This is according to Walker's resolution.

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"Should Indiana reconsider the time zone in which we live?" Walker said Wednesday. "The truth of it is based on the path of the sun and the course of the day. All of the geography of Indiana lies within what would be the Central Time Zone.

Walker also said  he hopes to start the conversation on unifying the state "so we all live in which time zone (where) we are physically located."

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"I don't really know the reason, I just wish we wouldn't switch at all," Rolinda Evan said with a chuckle downtown Wednesday.

The committee recommended passing the resolution with a 5-1 vote on Tuesday.

Walker says 50 Indiana school board and 25,000 Hoosiers have signed a resolution supporting moving back to Central Time.

Currently, 12 Indiana counties are part of the Central Time Zone. If Indiana observed Central Time, Daylight Saving Time would presumably still be observed.

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