Throughout my time as Chair of the Hennepin County Board, I have maintained forward momentum toward responsibly ending waste incineration at the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC). I believe it is possible to conclude trash burning at the HERC within this decade — but only with a reasonable operational plan in place for the current waste stream, and only with consistent action from the municipalities that use the HERC as a service. That is not a complicated ask. It is the minimum that governing toward a shared goal requires.

The Minnesota Legislature passed a bipartisan deal that sends $205 million in immediate funding to HCMC and creates a $500 million hospital reserve account usable by HCMC over the next five years. Earlier this year, there was real closure risk for HCMC in 2026. Today, that is off the table. Thanks to every single person, news story, phone call, op/ed, and video - HCMC remains open! The only public safety-net hospital in the upper Midwest will continue to care for every person who walks through its doors, regardless of insurance, income, or circumstance. That is a profound win.

On April 23, 2026, Hennepin County staff presented a detailed financial briefing to the Board of Commissioners and the public on the severity of what HCMC faces. The presentation was clear: without a permanent, dedicated source of revenue, HCMC cannot remain open. This is not a crisis that appeared overnight, and it cannot be solved by a single infusion of cash or another property tax increase. HCMC needs a runway to make organized, strategic changes from a position of stability rather than collapse; its mission is essential for the health and well-being of all Minnesotans. 

Read the answers to frequently asked questions on the HERC, recent advocacy, and Commissioner Fernando’s position.

On April 7, bills were introduced in the House and the Senate (HF 4841/SF 4986) to provide dedicated revenue for HCMC by repurposing the ballpark sales tax, which is currently a 0.15% tax on most monies spent in Hennepin County, and making it a 1% tax. This would raise approximately $342 million in public revenues annually.

On Tuesday March 24, 2026, the Administration, Libraries, and Budget Committee unanimously voted to support dedicated revenue in the form of a modified Hennepin County sales tax to support the Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), also known as Hennepin Healthcare System, Inc. (HHS), as the critical safety net hospital serving Minnesota and the surrounding states.

Today, the Hennepin County Board approved a revised version of 26-0069: “Reaffirm Commissioner Oath of Office; recognize the U.S. Constitution and the  Bill of Rights; reaffirm existing Hennepin County policies; support existing HCSO policy and recommend continued compliance with Minnesota statutes - Offered by Commissioner Fernando”

On January 16, Congresswoman Omar and Congresswoman Jayapal held a Field Hearing at the MN State Capitol, titled: “Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump’s Deadly Assault on Minnesota,”. This was the 6th hearing in the “Kidnapped and Disappeared” series; 28 members of Congress from 18 states across the state were in attendance, the largest number since the series began last summer.

I’m proud to announce that I was re-elected Chair of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners on January 6th for the fourth year in a row. I’m honored and humbled at the opportunity to serve in this role for another year – and I am grateful to my colleagues and to county staff for your continued partnership and trust. Together, we have delivered results by uplifting shared humanity and implementing imaginative solutions in the face of truly unprecedented times.

Today, in the Hennepin County Board unanimously passed a Board Action Request Condemning ICE and Calling For Removal of ICE Personnel and Assets from Minnesota.

See the video I posted on Jan 24, 2026 on my personal page speaking at a vigil for Alex Pretti and the video from Jan 23 at the mass mobilization.

One week after the murder of Ms. Good by an ICE agent in South Minneapolis, an ICE agent shot a resident in North Minneapolis. I am aware of many on-the-ground accounts, and given the need for formal documentation, I am sharing my own experience from last night. 

Today, dozens of elected leaders called on the federal government to cooperate with a joint or parallel independent investigation to be conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), after the FBI had restricted Minnesota state investigators from accessing any evidence on the murder of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent.

What We Know: At approximately 9:40AM, a federal immigration officer shot and killed a legal observer in south Minneapolis near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue as she was leaving the scene after documenting ICE actions.

The resident, Renee, was a 37 year old white woman and U.S. citizen, and it has been indicated she was not the target of any law enforcement activity. Renee was driving away from the scene as a legal observer. The victim was alone in her car, and a federal law enforcement officer approached on foot and as the victim began to drive off in her vehicle, at least two shots were fired, she was struck in the head by a bullet and the vehicle then crashed on the side of the roadway.

Since the 2024 Presidential Election, the current Federal Administration has demonstrated clear actions toward establishing autocracy and fascism within the United States. Former Georgia State Representative Stacey Abrams has outlined 10 steps toward authoritarianism that we must recognize and fight back against. I recently watched her interview with Anthony Anderson and was inspired by how simply she laid out both the steps this Federal Administration is taking to grab ultimate power as well as how we can fight back against it. One of those steps is sharing the facts and consistently pushing back against false narratives and the propaganda attempting to divide us. 

Hennepin County has a vision for our communities: where all people are healthy, all people are valued, and all people thrive. That means for our youth, too – even, and especially, those with the most complex needs. Youth with complex needs are in crisis, and the system finds it almost impossible to find them an appropriate treatment setting. The new Youth Stabilization Center is to serve our youth with the highest, most complex needs. There is nowhere in the current system to meet the needs of these youth – until now.

On November 12, I was invited to a meeting with residents to discuss the HERC. During the meeting, I was requested to publish my communications with the City of Minneapolis on this topic. 

This statement is written to fulfill this resident request, while I continue to coordinate with government partners to achieve a zero-waste future and the responsible conclusion of waste incineration in Hennepin County.

Watch my remarks from a media event I held yesterday on October 30, calling for accountability, transparency, and action from City of Minneapolis executive leaders regarding the handling of domestic violence incidents and the mistreatment of domestic violence victims by the Minneapolis Police Department.