The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Vet whose house was hit by plane testifies
HADDAM — State Sen. Henri Martin, R-Bristol, 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 resident Norman Hannenbaum, according to a press release. In July 2016, a malfunctioning airplane landed on his 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, according to Connecticut State Republicans.
Martin signed up to speak at the insurance public hearing and yielded his time to Hannenbaum, who addressed the committee at the beginning of the hearing instead of waiting hours to speak.
“This legislation unfortunately will not resolve Mr. Hannenbaum’s issues,” Martin said in a prepared statement, “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.
Martin is co-chair of the Veteran’s Affairs Committee and represents the communities of Bristol, Harwinton, Plainville, Plymouth and Thomaston.