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County officials praise legislative win securing emergency funding and task force for HCMC
Summary
Hennepin County’s intergovernmental relations team briefed commissioners on a legislative package that includes a $205 million direct appropriation for HCMC and a $500 million reserve fund backed by the rainy day fund; counties will have reporting obligations and a governor-appointed task force will study future governance and financing.
Liz Young, Hennepin County’s director of intergovernmental relations, told the county board that the state legislature adjourned after passing a package containing several provisions the county supported, including emergency financial support for HCMC and a multi-year reserve.
"What we won this legislative session is funding to stabilize the hospital now and for the next five years through a historic financial commitment," Young said, describing a $205,000,000 direct appropriation to support HCMC and a $500,000,000 reserve fund backed by the state rainy day fund. Young said funds will be available through 2031 and that access will require reporting and a formal request process with statutory timelines.
Young also described changes to governance and oversight: a new corporate board must be appointed by January, and the legislation establishes a task force on future governance and financing that will submit reports in January 2027 and January 2028.
Commissioners commended the intergovernmental relations team and community advocacy. One commissioner noted the wider statewide problem, saying about "21 or 22 hospitals around the state" could close this year or next without intervention and stressed that the county’s effort aimed to prevent such closures and preserve access to emergency and maternal care.
Board members discussed the next steps for county monitoring and engagement. Several commissioners said they want to track the governor-appointed task force and the county’s own governance review, which is due in June, to ensure coordination between county and state efforts. Chair Irene Fernando said the board will ask for more detailed opioid and health-care data in a future briefing to identify pockets of need across public-health jurisdictions within Hennepin County.
Young and commissioners repeatedly thanked staff, union members and community partners for testimony and advocacy that officials said helped secure the compromise in a divided legislature.
No county vote was required on the state package at Monday’s meeting; commissioners asked county staff to monitor implementation details and report back as the task force and statutory reporting requirements move forward.
