Updates for State Rep. Nick Menapace for Oct. 14, 2025

October 14, 2025

I do my best to engage with local media on various topics of interest. Recently, I contributed two letters to the editor (to the Day and the CT Examiner, respectively) on the importance of bipartisanship and facts.

If you didn't get a chance to read them, I have included them below:

The Lesson We’re Forgetting

Dear Editor

As a social studies teacher, I spend my days teaching students how to listen, use evidence, and build arguments based on facts. In my first term as a legislator, I’ve been struck by how often adults — especially in politics — forget those same lessons. Too many debates at the Capitol are no longer about solving problems, but about creating soundbites for social media. Some legislators aren’t even interested in what a bill actually says — only in how they can spin it to stoke outrage. It’s frustrating, because governing, like learning, requires focus, cooperation, and respect for the truth. This past session, I was proud to be recognized for my bipartisan work. I made a genuine effort to engage Republican colleagues, to find common ground, and to work on solutions we could all be proud of. But as the session went on, Republican leadership began attacking members who tried to work across the aisle — punishing collaboration instead of rewarding it.

I see the same disappointment at the local level. Too many candidates seem less interested in understanding the offices they seek than in using them as platforms to attack neighbors they deem “other.” Public service should be about community, not cruelty. In the classroom, I hold my students to a standard: come prepared, stay on topic, and work together toward a solution. Our politics should be no different. If we expect our students to learn civics, we should expect our leaders to practice it

Sincerely,

Nick Menapace

Facts Matter — in Classrooms, in Government, and in Journalism

Dear Editor,

As both a teacher and a legislator, I live in two worlds that rely on the same principle: facts matter. In my classroom, I tell my students that their arguments must be backed up by evidence. If they make a claim, they must provide evidence to support it. In Hartford, I approach policy debates the same way. When we vote on issues like housing, education, or infrastructure, the choices we make affect thousands of lives. We cannot afford to base those choices on half-truths or talking points.

That’s why I am increasingly frustrated by the decline in journalism — both nationally and locally — that holds itself to that same standard. A healthy democracy depends on an informed public, and an informed public depends on a press that values accuracy, context, and accountability. Unfortunately, too often what we see instead is repetition of baseless claims, stripped of context and presented as fact. At the federal level, too many journalists have allowed themselves to become megaphones for political spin, repeating falsehoods without pressing for the truth. When misinformation is printed or aired without challenge, it is not journalism.

We see echoes of this problem here at home. Recently, Chris Powell wrote a column about Connecticut’s housing policy. In it, he argued that urban redevelopment was being ignored in favor of policies that add to sprawl and that housing should be built near existing public transit. But anyone who read HB 5002 — the very housing bill he was writing about — would know it includes provisions to repurpose vacant industrial sites and to build housing near public transportation. In other words, he criticized the bill for lacking precisely what it already contained. Instead, he seemed to rely on the talking points of the far-right Yankee Institute, resulting in an opinion piece that misled readers about what the legislature had actually proposed.

It’s a frustrating pattern, especially when another longtime columnist, David Collins, was abruptly dismissed after a dispute over a piece about Rep. Greg Howard’s defense of warrantless ICE raids. As Collins explained, his writing simply commented on Howard’s own public statements — the kind of straightforward opinion work newspapers have published for decades. Yet his voice was silenced, while other columns that misrepresent legislation continue to be published without correction. That double standard erodes public trust in the press. But while Mr. Powell bears responsibility for his words, editors also bear responsibility for what they choose to print. When the same inaccurate claims are published across multiple newspapers without correction or added context, the failure is bigger than one columnist. It reflects an editorial choice not to demand accuracy, and that is deeply disappointing. Readers deserve better than repetition of spin — they deserve facts.

This isn’t about picking a fight with one columnist. It is about highlighting a larger problem: when facts are omitted, when context is ignored, the public is left with a distorted picture of the challenges we face. And without good information, citizens cannot make informed decisions, communities cannot build consensus, and democracy itself is weakened.

I am not asking journalists or columnists to agree with me or with any legislator. In fact, I welcome tough questions and critical coverage. Instead, I am asking for the same standard I ask of my students: evidence. If you are going to critique a policy, engage with what it actually says. If you are going to quote an argument, do not strip it of the context that gives it meaning. If you are going to cover politics, do not mistake repetition of talking points for facts. Anything less isn't journalism.

The issues facing our state — from housing to education to climate resilience — are complex. They deserve coverage that goes deeper than slogans, that challenges assumptions, and that respects the public enough to tell the full story. We live in an era where trust in institutions is fragile. That makes it even more urgent for journalism to earn that trust, not squander it. I am proud to serve my district in as a teacher and a legislator. In both roles, I understand the importance of truth and context in preparing the next generation and serving our communities. It is time for our media to recommit to those same values. Democracy depends on it. Facts matter in the classroom, in the legislature, and they should matter in journalism, too.

Sincerely,

Nick Menapace

Bipartisanship Recognition

Speaking of bipartisanship, I am honored to be recognized with an 'Excellent' ranking for bipartisanship. I believe in working across the aisle to get things done for Connecticut. It's how we make real progress.

Around the 37th

Last week I was proud to join Safe Futures and so many others for their annual walk to end domestic violence.

Safe Futures provides critical support, shelter, and education for victims and families across southeastern Connecticut. Their work reminds us that everyone deserves safety, dignity, and a community that stands with them.

Thank you to everyone who walked, volunteered, and continues to raise awareness — together, we’re helping build a future free from violence.

A proud night for Montville!

I was honored to join town and state leaders recently in celebrating the new state-of-the-art track and field facility at Montville High School. This long-awaited upgrade will benefit our students, athletes, and community for years to come.

It’s a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish when we work together across every level of government. On to the next win for Montville!