If you spent Sunday morning resetting the stove, the car, and every clock in the house, you might have wondered why Texas bothered passing a law about this at all. Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 1393 back in June 2025, establishing “Texas Time,” the state’s version of permanent daylight saving time. The catch is that federal law controls the clock, and the state needs congressional authorization before it can stop falling back. The U.S. House passed the Sunshine Protection Act in July, but the Senate has yet to vote, so Texas joined the rest of the country in turning clocks back at 2 a.m. Sunday.

The change isn’t just about an extra hour of sleep. Evening commutes now happen in the dark, and Environment Texas notes that deer are more active during mating season, which means extra caution on roads around Waxahachie and the rest of Ellis County. Local school districts are also asking drivers to watch for students at bus stops in the morning dark and to allow a little extra commute time.

So the waiting game continues in Washington while we adjust our routines here at home. Whether you’re counting down to permanent daylight saving time or you’d rather keep standard time year-round, the advice this week is the same: slow down, stay alert, and look out for each other on the road. What’s your take: should the Senate finally vote on the Sunshine Protection Act?