January 19, 2006 2:00 PM, EST

DOT Approves Move of Eight Indiana Counties to Central Time

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

he U.S. Department of Transportation said it will allow eight Indiana counties to switch from the Eastern to the Central time zone, ending a long battle in the state over daylight-saving time, the Associated Press reported Thursday.

Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) pushed extensively for the law calling on all counties to follow daylight-saving time, saying it would eliminate confusion and boost commerce.

The requests were prompted by a state law enacted last year that requires statewide observance of daylight-saving time beginning in April, AP said. The Indiana House passed the law in a close vote. (Click here for previous coverage.)

Nine other counties that sought the change were turned down by DOT, which regulates time zones, AP said.

All but 15 of Indiana's 92 counties had rejected daylight-saving time for more than three decades, largely because it has been a highly emotional and divisive issue among residents.

DOT said it bases its decisions on whether changes will benefit commerce, and also looks at factors such as transportation, commuter patterns, and where areas get their radio and television signals, AP reported.