Senator Martin Yields Public Hearing Time to WWII Vet

WWII veteran Norman Hannenbaum (left) and State Sen. Henri Martin address the legislature’s Insurance & Real Estate Committee.

Hartford – State Senator Henri Martin (R-31) recently testified to the legislature’s Insurance & Real Estate Committee in support of legislation sought by a World War II veteran.

House Bill 5204, An Act Concerning Law and Ordinance Coverage, was brought before the committee as a result of what happened to Haddam residentNorman Hannenbaum. In July of 2016, a malfunctioning airplane landed on Mr. Hannenbaum’s home. The 90-year-old World War II veteran has been unable to return to his home because his homeowner’s insurance will not pay for work required to bring the house up to code. House Bill 5204 would require insurance to cover such work.

Sen. Martin signed up to speak at the Insurance public hearing and then yielded his time to Mr. Hannenbaum. This enabled the elderly veteran to address the committee at the beginning of the hearing instead of possibly waiting hours to speak.

“This legislation unfortunately will not resolve Mr. Hannenbaum’s issues,” Sen. Martin said, “but as someone who has served his country, it isn’t surprising that Mr. Hannenbaum is still serving others by making sure no other Connecticut homeowner experiences what he has. He exemplifies why his group has been called the Greatest Generation.”

The bill awaits the committee’s vote before it can move through the process to become a law.

Sen. Martin is Co-Chair of the Veteran’s Affairs Committee and represents the communities of Bristol, Harwinton, Plainville, Plymouth, and Thomaston.