Wait, what time is it? Confusion could ensue in KC if Kansas ends daylight saving time

Imagine the confusion that would ensue if it were 6 p.m. in downtown Kansas City and 5 p.m. in Johnson County.

If Kansas abandoned daylight saving time — an idea that’s gaining a bit of traction — some 2 million residents would live in a constant state of befuddlement, wondering what it time it is as they criss-cross a metro area that straddles two states.

Picture heading down State Line Road for a 2 p.m. appointment and contemplating whether you are in the Kansas or Missouri time zone or if this is the month when Missouri springs ahead and Kansas sticks with standard time.

Some elected officials in Kansas want to stop changing clocks twice a year. Proposed legislation would exempt Kansas from daylight saving time beginning in November 2019.

Sure, “falling back” and “springing forward” are a hassle, but that doesn’t compare to daily life in a metro area that can’t agree what time it is.

If Missouri lawmakers aren’t on board with this idea — and they don’t appear to be — the issue is not worth discussing. Kansas lawmakers should pump the brakes until Missouri is ready to get on the same schedule.

Kansans and Missourians already squabble over plenty: sports and economic incentives, for starters. Daylight saving time shouldn’t be added to the border war discord.

This story was originally published January 27, 2019 at 5:30 AM.