Updates from State Rep. Nick Menapace for Aug. 11, 2026

August 11, 2026

I am proud to share that for the 2026 legislative session, I received a 100% voting score from the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters in its 2026 Environmental Scorecard.

At a time when we are seeing more of the effects of climate change, as well as trying to reduce our reliance on nonrenewable fossil fuels and our carbon footprint, these votes are more important now than ever and something I take very seriously.

I will continue to support protecting the environment, preserving our natural resources and fighting for environmental justice in our communities.

Be Alert to Election-Related Cyber Scams

Cyber attackers are increasingly targeting election officials, government employees, candidates, and voters with convincing scams designed to steal passwords, access computer systems, or spread malicious software.

Recent attacks have included fake emails and text messages that appear to come from election offices, asking voters to verify information or candidates to review supposed policy updates. Others have involved phone and Microsoft Teams calls in which attackers impersonate IT or help-desk staff, sometimes asking employees to provide authentication codes or install remote-access software.

These scams can be especially difficult to recognize because attackers are using artificial intelligence and other technology to make fraudulent emails, phone calls, and messages appear more legitimate. Phone numbers and online identities can also be spoofed.

The best defense is to stop, think, and verify. Residents, candidates, and election workers should:

Never provide passwords or multi-factor authentication codes in response to an unexpected request.
Never install software or allow remote computer access based on an unsolicited call or message.
Be cautious about clicking links or opening attachments, even when a message appears to come from a trusted organization.
Independently verify unexpected requests using a known, official phone number or website rather than responding directly.
Report suspicious messages—and immediately report any situation in which a person may have clicked a malicious link or shared sensitive information.

Election security is a shared responsibility. By staying informed, slowing down when something seems urgent or unusual, and verifying communications before taking action, we can make it harder for scammers to compromise our election systems and personal information.

Letter to the Editor

In 2024, I first visited York Correctional Institution. It's the state's only women’s correctional institute; it's down the street from where I live in Niantic, Connecticut, but I didn't know much about the place or the 900 incarcerated people who lived there. When I went, I learned about life inside prison from the incarcerated women we spoke to. But I left thinking about what happens after prison.

As I spoke with incarcerated women, I heard the same message again and again. They weren't asking for sympathy or shorter sentences. They weren't asking anyone to excuse the mistakes that had brought them there. They wanted something much simpler: the opportunity to learn skills that would help them build a life when they returned home.

That conversation has stayed with me because it raised a question we don't ask often enough: What is the purpose of our correctional system?

Certainly, incarceration serves an important purpose. It protects the public, holds people accountable, and provides justice for victims. Those responsibilities are essential.

But if the overwhelming majority of incarcerated people will one day return to our communities, then public safety doesn't end at the prison gate. We should also ask what happens next.

Do people leave prison prepared to support themselves, provide for their families, and become productive members of their communities? Or do they leave carrying the same barriers that contributed to their incarceration in the first place? Since becoming a Connecticut legislator, I have visited York a few times; it's so close that I even ride my bike there.

This month, I returned to York for the graduation of the first class of Connecticut's Building Trades Training Institute. Through a partnership involving the Department of Correction, the Department of Labor, Connecticut's Building Trades, and other labor organizations, six women earned industry-recognized credentials and a direct pathway to apprenticeship opportunities upon release.

One graduate said something I won't forget: "My past doesn't define my future."

That single sentence captures what this program is really about.

It isn't about being soft on crime. It isn't about overlooking the harm that crime causes. It's about recognizing that accountability and opportunity are not mutually exclusive. If someone has served their sentence and is returning to society, every one of us has a stake in whether they succeed.

That is why I believe we need to rethink how we measure success in corrections.

Too often, we focus on what happens inside prison: how many people are incarcerated, how facilities operate, or what programs are offered. Those things matter. But the true measure of success is what happens after someone walks out the front gate.

Did they find stable employment?

Did they reunite with their family?

Did they become financially independent?

Most importantly, did they avoid returning to prison?

Those are the outcomes that make our communities safer.
They also make fiscal sense. It costs tens of thousands of dollars each year to incarcerate one person. Every individual who successfully rebuilds their life instead of returning to prison represents fewer victims, lower correctional costs, and another skilled worker contributing to our state's economy. That is not simply compassion. It is sound public policy that everyone should be able to get behind.

The building trades program also arrives at an important moment. Connecticut employers are searching for electricians, pipefitters, carpenters, plumbers, and other skilled tradespeople. At the same time, many people leaving prison struggle to find employers willing to give them a chance.

Programs like this help bridge that gap.

I hope this first graduating class is only the beginning. Connecticut should continue investing in vocational education and workforce partnerships inside our correctional facilities, evaluate them rigorously, and expand those that demonstrate results.

When I first visited York Correctional Institute, I met women asking for an opportunity. This year, I watched six of them take the first step toward earning one.

That experience reinforced something I believe about government more broadly. We should judge public policy not simply by what it promises, but by what it accomplishes.

The success of our correctional system should not be measured by how many people pass through it. It should be measured by how many people leave it prepared to build a better life and never have to come back.

Preserving the Bond Property

After years of work, the Bond property in Montville and Salem representing nearly 700 acres of land will be preserved as open space. This is a project that has been years in the making, will serve to better our community, not just in Salem and Montville but all over the region. I want to thank everyone who has worked on this project.

Please see the story here (Paywall).

National Coast Guard Day

Last week, we celebrated the founding of the United States Coast Guard along with all the amazing work they do.

From protecting our shores and waterways to conducting lifesaving rescues and supporting communities in times of crisis, the Coast Guard plays an essential role in keeping our nation safe.

To all Coast Guard members, veterans, and their families: thank you for your dedication and service to our country. We are grateful for all you do.

Around the 37th

Last week, current and past leaders, community members, and friends of the late Kevin Ryan gathered to establish the Kevin Ryan Memorial Highway on Route 163 in Montville.

When I first ran for office, Kevin was always there to answer my many questions. When I was elected, he was one of the first people to call and congratulate me — and to tell me about all the work he was excited to do together in the legislature.

I will never forget Kevin's commitment to his community, his work in the legislature, his humor, and his kindness. It was wonderful to see all the people he impacted—not just in Montville, or just in Connecticut, but everywhere.

A good man. A great mentor. Deeply missed.