Push to switch Indiana to the Central Time Zone dies without enough support from lawmakers

A resolution that would have required Indiana lawmakers to study the possibility of switching the entire state to the Central Time Zone was defeated Thursday before it could even get a vote on the Senate floor.

Resolution author Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus, said there wasn't enough support in the Senate for the resolution, so he removed it from the calendar. The resolution would have required lawmakers to study the impact of the time zone change, not necessarily make a commitment to change time zones.

Just two days earlier, the resolution passed out the Senate Homeland Security and Transportation committee by a 5-1 vote.

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Most of Indiana is in the Eastern Time Zone, while 12 counties in the southwestern and northwestern portions are in the Central Time zone.

Indiana in its entirety was in the Central Time Zone until 1965 when the Interstate Commerce Commission divided the state into Eastern and Central Time. Since then, it has been the subject of periodic waves of debate and some counties have switched time zones.

In 2005 lawmakers returned to the issue, but only to decide that Indiana should observe Daylight Saving Time. Walker said that 2005 discussion likely played into lawmakers' decisions not to support his resolution.

"I think it's difficult to separate for my colleagues how this is not the same issue as 2005," Walker said.

The resolution listed the current three-hour time difference from California and the impact "excessive morning darkness" has on school children as reasons why Indiana should consider making the switch.

"It just comes down to geography," Walker said.

Parts of Tennessee and Kentucky and all of Alabama are in the Central Time Zone.

Walker said he will reintroduce the issue in the future if the opportunity arises.

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Call IndyStar reporter Kaitlin Lange at (317) 432-9270. Follow her on Twitter: @kaitlin_lange.