Today, the Hennepin County Board will consider a Board Action Request (BAR) to dissolve the HHS corporate board and resume governance authority over the hospital system. This action was introduced by the County Administrator and comes after over 18 months of work and analysis by County Administration. This statement will take a deeper dive into the financial situation at HHS in order for the public to be aware of the dire financial reality, as well as to make clear the County Board’s deep dedication to ensure there is no longer a risk of closure for the hospital.
Read MoreRecent discussions have made it clear that in order to ensure the hospital remains open, direct operational oversight and expedited decision-making are necessary. The proposed action is about ensuring operational continuity of the last public safety net hospital in Minnesota – HHS management has identified the operational risk of hospital closure at the end of 2025, and the HHS Board has prioritized workforce reductions and program divestment as its primary solutions. In service to the continued operations for the hospital, I will be voting in favor of the proposed action when the time comes.
Read More
Thank you to the residents and advocates who have offered me feedback and demanded greater accountability. I am grateful for your persistence and clarity, and I am very sorry for not meeting expectations. I am committed to making progress and appreciate your continued engagement on this important issue.
In response to the urgency expressed, I will advocate for Hennepin County to begin reducing total trash burned at the HERC in four predictable quarters. Since City of Minneapolis organized hauling represents 22% of what is delivered to the HERC, then concluding the City's HERC contract in February 2026 will be an impactful first step to ending waste incineration in Hennepin County.
Read MoreIn this moment of federal crisis, people need leadership that is accountable, visionary, and deeply invested in people – not just performance. We need elected leaders who share credit to address community needs, rather than seek credit for individual recognition. That’s why it’s both misleading and harmful when leaders claim results without fully funding the work or acknowledging their partners. In a moment when trust in government is rapidly eroding and household instability is increasing – we must call for accountable leadership that prioritizes outcomes over optics.
Read MoreThere are moments in history when a country undergoes dramatic change – not with a bang, but with quiet, calculated efforts and the systematic overwriting of core values. This may go unnoticed for some leaders, or perhaps it’s a strategic choice to look the other way. However, I refuse to remain silent – because during these dire times, we must bravely use our collective voice to speak against the overt dismantling of our democratic institutions and constitutional protections. The United States is in an undeniable crisis of democracy.
Read MoreThree years ago, the United States Supreme Court made a decision that stripped fundamental human rights from millions of people. Overturning Roe v. Wade was a calculated, violent attack on bodily autonomy – on women, trans and nonbinary people, and all birthing people.
Read MoreLike so many Minnesotans, I woke up early on Saturday, June 14th, to a disturbing and distressing reality that will forever shape our collective future. In the middle of the night, a gunman impersonated a police officer, stalked, and terrorized four elected officials’ homes — our neighbors and friends who chose elected public service for the betterment of our communities. No one should have to fear for their life when choosing a job as an elected official. And yet, this is a reality that we are now forced to confront, alongside many others across Hennepin County, who are carrying fear in their homes, workplaces, and communities.
Read MoreWatch my remarks at the joint press conference hosted by Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Kelly Morrison at Hennepin Healthcare System.
Read More
This fall, cities along the corridor will vote to approve the Preliminary Design Plans of the 13.4-mile Blue Line Extension route that will extend the existing METRO Blue Line from Target Field Station northwest to Brooklyn Park and connect communities along the way.
State law requires the Metropolitan Council, as the regional transit authority, to send Preliminary Design Plans to the cities and county on the route. The local jurisdictions then must review the major physical design components and vote to give approval of these plans, often referred to as “municipal consent.”`
Read MoreOn October 24th, the Hennepin County Board unanimously passed the Board Action Request (BAR) that directs the HERC’s closure as early as 2028, which is only possible with energetic action from State and municipal partners, particularly from the City of Minneapolis.
As a North Minneapolis resident, I have advocated for closure of the HERC since long before I was in elected office. I am deeply committed to environmental justice and promise work towards a closure on the soonest timeline. I believe there is a path to stop burning trash as soon as 2028, but aggressive action is needed from government partners to achieve this timeline:
Read MoreSince 2019, my office and I have been closely involved with the planning and development process for the Blue Line Extension Light Rail Transit project. This effort has been underway for decades, and I am proud of the progress made in recent years towards ensuring fast, safe, reliable, and affordable transit service for the residents of North Minneapolis and our northwest suburban communities.
Read MoreOn January 3, 2023, I took the Oath of Office for the second time and began a new term as Hennepin County Commissioner serving the residents of District 2 and Hennepin County. As I begin my second term in office, I am grateful for your partnership and am proud of all we have been able to achieve together. I also know how much more our communities need from governments, and I am dedicated to continue fighting to improve the lives of residents.
On January 3, 2023, during the first Board meeting of the year, my colleagues unanimously elected me to serve as Chair of the Hennepin County Board. At age 37 and a daughter to Filipino immigrants, I am proud to be the first person of color to ever serve as Chair of the Hennepin County Board.
Read MoreTransgender and gender non-conforming youth, especially youth of color, disproportionately experience homelessness, poor educational outcomes, involvement in the justice system and the child protection system, and are particularly vulnerable to sex trafficking. Further, research consistently shows dramatically higher rates of suicidality among transgender individuals, especially transgender youth. For these reasons, my office led on three separate actions this year that worked to codify protections and fund health care for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.
Read MoreOn July 8, Minneapolis Councilmember Michael Rainville made racist and Islamophobic comments stating that Somali youth perpetrate an overwhelming majority of crime in our community, without any evidence supporting this harmful claim. He then made a subsequent trip to a mosque in Northeast Minneapolis to tell Muslim leaders that their children must stop this behavior, which is especially discriminatory to me since none of the individuals arrested the night he referenced were from Northeast Minneapolis. Today, I join numerous elected officials and community leaders in fully condemning the Councilmember’s disturbing and damaging remarks.
Read MoreThank you to the numerous residents who have communicated with my office in the last few days. I am appalled by the recent media coverage related to Sheriff Hutchinson and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s office. In addition to past misconduct, the actions described in the articles related to creating a hostile work environment via racist and homophobic remarks and the misuse of his county-issued credit card with expenses over $17,000 in the 4 months after his accident are completely outside of the expectations of any Hennepin worker, and elected officials should operate at an even higher level of leadership.
Read MoreEarlier this month, Hennepin County Public Works staff released a recommended concept for the Hennepin Ave NE and 1st Ave NE roadway improvements project. The work on this project, which will stretch from Main St to 8th St, is scheduled for 2024. The District 2 office has received a significant amount of constituent advocacy related to this project over the last few months. This statement provides an update on the progress that’s been made on this important project.
Read MoreToday, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion,” which overrules Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. This is dehumanizing to women and birthing people who should be able to make their own healthcare decisions. It is a personal attack on the bodily-autonomy of so many of us, and it functionally takes away rights from millions of people who live in states that have not codified the right to an abortion. We must not only vocally oppose this ruling, but we must do so legislatively as well.
Read MoreOn June 9, 2022, the Corridor Management Committee (an advisory group to the Metropolitan Council, made up of representatives from corridor municipalities, the Metropolitan Council, community voices, as well as Hennepin County and MNDOT) voted to accept the route recommendation report that revises the 2012 BNSF-aligned route. This vote allows the project to move forward in the federal review process. There will be over a year of further analysis, engagement, and feedback before the details of the final route are determined. This includes station locations and configurations, the connection between Target Field Station and West Broadway Ave, and how the line fits within specific areas.
Read MoreOn April 18, 2022, Hennepin County and the Metropolitan Council announced a new route recommendation for the Blue Line Extension Light Rail project. This decision comes after the need to modify the alignment, an 18 month process of community engagement, and extensive engineering studies. The new route, beginning in downtown Minneapolis at Target Field station, will proceed north towards Lyndale Ave, turn west onto West Broadway Ave, and continue northwest along County Road 81 until shifting due north onto Broadway Ave in Brooklyn Park, and terminating at the Target North campus located just north of Highway 610.
Read MoreHennepin County has declared racism as a public health crisis, and it is against Hennepin’s mission to engage in or encourage racist behavior. We cannot tolerate conduct, especially from employees in leadership, that is in direct violation of those ideas and goals. Hennepin Healthcare management received information on this misconduct weeks ago — it is appalling that no one has faced consequences to date.
Read More