It's About Time – Top 3 Takeaways – October 5th, 2026
Takeaway #1: It's About Time...Call Tom
I'm not certain, though if I were to guess which non-partisan issue, I've spent the most time addressing over the years. It would be the issue that's literally about time. I am certain that there's been no issue I've had more conversations with then-Governor Rick Scott about – when he championed it through the Florida legislature and signed the Sunshine Protection Act into law when governor – and in the nearly eight years that he's been a U.S. senator. Ditto Marco Rubio when he was still in the senate (although the Miami Dolphins would have been a close second...I did once introduce him as the future commissioner of the National Football League - which is still where I think he could land when he's done with politics one day). Anyway, in the vast expanse of issues that have gone to the senate to die, what's happened with the Sunshine Protection Act this year has perhaps been the most confounding. The way the current version of the bill that would end time changes is drawn, it wouldn't force federal compliance with states adhering to a specific standard for time. If states want to deny science, wreck their economies, and bring extensive harm to the wellbeing of their residents by doing arbitrary time changes twice a year – they'd be free to do it. If states would like to do what Florida's already done and pass a law that says we'll end time changes, the federal government would recognize that too. In other words, for what is a non-partisan issue, there's literally no reason for a single senator to prevent a vote on the legislation taking place. Yet – that's exactly what Tom Cotton has done. It was on July 22nd when my frustration with Tom Cotton's posturing, blocking the vote on the Sunshine Protection Act boiled over. As I said at the time... The concerns about certain states, including his home state of Arkansas, not continuing with time changes was a non-issue, so he's full of it and I referred to him as a blow hard – due to his lack of intentionally honesty in publicly discussing his opposition to the issue (which btw, I'm still not sure what it really is – since he's never honestly addressed the fact that the legislation simply lets states choose the time they want to recognize...perhaps he's just not a fan of the 10th Amendment?). In any event the one thing I didn't do is to publicly disclose his cell phone number and to tell people to call him to let him know how wrong he is to block this legislation. But now...the apparently equally frustrated President of the United States has.
Takeaway #2: 479-453-0533
The year was... The inflation rate was 10.3%, Charles and Diana were married. The Space Shuttle Columbia launched. AIDs was declared an epidemic. And one of the greatest presidents of all-time was inaugurated...President Reagan was also shot in this year. It was of course 1981, and it was also the year that MTV launched, and Tommy Tutone, had one of the early video hits with Jenny, better known as...867-5309. It is estimated that during its time on the charts an estimated 1.5 - 2 million people called 867-5309. It became such a problem that most people who had that number within their area code were compelled to change it due to calls coming in throughout the day and night. Perhaps that's what President Trump was hoping for when on Saturday he Truthed this: Everybody in Arkansas, Tom Cotton, a friend of mine, is holding up a very important Bill. It’s called, “The Sunshine Protection Act” or, “We Don’t Want to Change Our Clocks Twice a Year Act.” For some reason, Tom is stopping the Bill and, in the Senate, it’s very easy to do, it only takes one! It should pass overwhelmingly, in a Bipartisan fashion. So, everyone in Arkansas, a State I love, and won 3 times, the last by by 34 points, tell Tom to, GET IT DONE! It will be appreciated by all. Nobody wants to spend their precious time running all over the place, turning Clocks back twice a year and, having sunshine in the afternoon is better than early in the morning! The PGA TOUR, as an example, needs more Daylight in the afternoon in order to finish their Tournaments. Likewise, regular Golfers, Tennis Players, Hunters and, perhaps most importantly, Farmers who want more Daylight to play or work. See letter from Brian Rolapp, CEO of the PGA TOUR below. 65% PLUS want more sun in the afternoon, Daylight Saving Time (The way it is now!), but 100% don’t want to change their Clocks twice a year. They want to, as they say, “LOCK THE CLOCK!” Who doesn’t? It’s very expensive for our Nation where you have high and dangerous steeples to reach, like on churches and municipal buildings. Almost everybody wants “The Sunshine Protection Act” to pass, except for Tom Cotton. To the Great People of Arkansas, please let your Senator know it would be a GREAT Bipartisan WIN for the United States Senate, and for America, itself. Call Tom on his cellphone at, 479-453-0533, and let him know. “The Sunshine Protection Act” was passed in the House by a Vote of 308 to 117. HAVE THE SENATE VOTE, NOW! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP. I, for one appreciate President Trump's attention to this matter. And this of course isn't the first time a Republican Senator has had their cell phone number publicly outed... Trump of course released Senator Lidsey Graham's phone number while campaigning for president in 2015. This is the first time he's done it as president – which tells you two things. He's actually incredibly restrained in exposing phone numbers of his typical political adversaries given his proclivity for doing this...and that he understands politics – and hasn't exposed numbers of those who've blocked his preferred policies for political reasons. That he went there with Tom Cotton tells you how truly confounded he is that he's inexplicably blocked a non-partisan state's rights issue. So, my message for you today is to take the time to do what about 2 million did in 1981. Call or text Tom Cotton to tell him to get out of the way today. If 2 million called for Jenny in 1981, at least 2 million can call Tom to tell him to allow for us to handle time the way we – not the federal government in 1974 – saw fit. And just in case there are those who don't know about this issue...if this were to pass the Senate before November 1st, the next scheduled time change...
Takeaway #3: We'd never have to change the time again
Florida's law from 2018 would allow our state to remain in DST permanently. We'd be done. Aside from darkness setting in by five in the afternoon... Here’s a refresh for those who may not know when entering DST in the spring how bad the time change happens to be: Studies show a 24% spike in heart attacks. Clinical depression cases rise by 11% after the time change strokes up 8% too. Immune system function decreases by an average of 3% resulting in more people getting sick and just for good measure fatal car crashes are typically 6% higher. Workplace injuries, miscarriages for pregnant women are all higher. In the fall, when we assume Standard Time, Florida’s economy losses and estimated $27 billion in economic activity. A study published in April in the journal Criminology provided information that I was able to adapt for Florida. If the Sunshine Protection Act was passed resulting in permanent DST – in Florida, we’d see an estimated 9% fewer robberies, burglaries, aggravated assaults and murders during the period of standard time. That would mean 1,500 fewer robberies, nearly 853 fewer burglaries, 945 fewer aggravated assaults, and 93 fewer murders...annually. That’s independent of other types of crimes. It’s the craziest thing that we intentionally screw ourselves twice a year. But maybe just maybe this is the year? Call or text Tom and tell him it's about time. I have.