Norm Needleman has served in the State Senate since 2019 and is now in his third term. He serves as Senate Chair of the Energy and Technology Committee. In addition to the State Senate, Norm is also First Selectman of Essex and the owner of Tower Laboratories, a manufacturer of effervescent products headquartered in Centerbrook. In his free time, he loves spending time with his family and spoiling his many grandkids.
What is the most serious problem currently facing the state of Connecticut? What proposal(s) would you make to alleviate the problem?
The biggest issue impacting Connecticut today is housing affordability, especially for the lifeblood of our economy, young workers and middle income families. The rising cost of housing combined with shortages in our communities are impacting our workforce, making hiring more challenging for some companies, and could cause ripple effects that negatively impact our economy over time. We need to find solutions, but as no two towns are the same, we can’t apply an overarching strategy statewide. I believe that pushes for workforce housing and middle income housing are key. Having housing built to support our businesses, companies and industries will have a directly positive impact and alleviate much of this pressure, and designing future housing around key transportation hubs – bus lines, train lines, and highways, among others – can provide direct in-roads for access to jobs and support communities in the process. We need to make sure new housing and redevelopment in our communities supports our overall needs, and this overarching effort would be transformative in a positive way for our state.
‘Book-banning’ has been a significant issue in the community—where do you stand on the matter?
Book bans are an ineffective and overly controlling effort often made to restrict people from accessing information others don’t want them to read. I oppose book bans barring specific circumstances where materials can be determined to be truly harmful to the public. Many publicized book bans in recent years have targeted books focused on topics including the LGBTQ+ community, racism and discrimination, sexual assault and other topics. It often seems these bans are being made to limit access to books on these topics for purposeful reasons, and they often lead to overstepping that limits educational and representational reading. A book isn’t “dangerous” on its own, and the consequences of a book ban are often are worse than the materials being limited in the process. Add in that many analyses have shown that the majority of book ban suggestions come from a very limited number of people and the purposeful banning of books on important topics is often done with political purpose. A vast majority of parents – 70% – oppose book bans. I join them in my opposition.
Why are you running for this position?
After serving my community as the First Selectman of Essex, as well as other local community service and aiding local communities as a business owner, I’ve continued to feel a desire to give back to our community that goes beyond what I’ve accomplished in these roles. Working as State Senator has given me the ability to give our community a say in Hartford in every major bill discussed, proposed and enacted. Using my experiences as a business owner and local leader, I know no two communities are the same, and I’ve been able to voice that concern throughout my work in the Senate. I want to serve for another term to build on the good work we’ve accomplished to move Connecticut forward, including cuts to the state’s income tax, policies supporting families such as paid family and medical leave, new regulatory control over state utilities to reduce costs and support ratepayers and protecting the rights of everyone. I want to give back to my community and cannot fathom a better way than continuing to serve.