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, in the Administration, Operations, and Budget Committee, this Board Action Request (BAR) passed unanimously, which was co-authored by myself, Commissioner Conley, and Commissioner Edelson.

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.

Today I write with a heavy heart because I have arrived at the conclusion that City of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey lacks the intrinsic leadership, effective due diligence, and moral resolve to pursue community safety for all Minneapolis residents – especially as it relates to domestic, intimate partner, and gun violence.

Since my election as a Hennepin County Commissioner in 2018, expanding transit access, frequency, comfort, and reliability has been a top priority for my office. Affordable and accessible transit leads to more equitable health access, educational opportunity, career pathways, connections to human services, as well as dining, retail, entertainment, and family & civic celebrations. Every resident deserves access to safe, affordable, and reliable public transit across Hennepin County.

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.

Recent 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.

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. 

In 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. 

There 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.

Three 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. 

Like 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.

Watch my remarks at the joint press conference hosted by Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Kelly Morrison at Hennepin Healthcare System.