October 19–25, 2026
Hennepin County had an active Tuesday at the board level, upgrading hospital equipment, extending a trash contract, and funding climate research, while a federal emergency-alert law now applies to your phone.
At your hospital and library. Hennepin County hospitals are getting new Samsung radiology imaging machines, with installation expected by end of 2027 and a maintenance contract with RPS Imaging running through 2033 to keep them running. Both measures were adopted by the county board Tuesday, October 20. Also adopted Tuesday: a three-year deal to stock Hennepin County libraries with hardcover children's books that have built-in audio players, running from October 2026 through October 2029, aimed at helping early readers follow along by hearing the words as they read.
Your trash and your roads. The county board also adopted a contract extension Tuesday that keeps Hennepin County sending waste to Minneapolis facilities through the end of 2027, so your garbage and recycling pickup stays on the same schedule with no changes. Separately, the board adopted a measure giving the county authority to buy land, or in some cases require a forced sale at fair market value, to move road and transportation projects forward. And the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority picked up a parcel of surplus land Tuesday that can be used for passenger or freight rail expansion in the metro area.
Climate and mental health services. The county is putting up to $450,000 toward a University of Minnesota research project, running through 2029, to measure how local land absorbs and stores carbon. The findings could shape how the county plans development and manages forests and wetlands. The board also expanded its contract with ACES (the county's mental health and social services vendor) so residents can access a broader set of services without delays, and renewed a set of health and human services provider contracts to keep those programs running without gaps. All were adopted by the county board Tuesday, October 20.
On your phone. Federally, a bill (HR 7022) is now law that lets wireless carriers route emergency alerts, including severe weather warnings and public safety notices, through satellite networks in addition to cell towers. If your carrier opts in, you could receive alerts in areas where the cell signal is weak. You can also opt out of the satellite delivery specifically. A separate new federal law (HR 227) opens a two-year window for ordained clergy and Christian Science practitioners who previously opted out of Social Security and Medicare to reverse that decision and start building toward retirement and Medicare benefits.
Several other federal bills this week dealt with matters outside Hennepin County, including a land sale in Sacramento, and are not covered here.
Coming up next week:
San Francisco Bay restoration funding. HR 1382, which would raise the federal share of Bay restoration project costs and open those grants to private companies and nonprofits, cleared committee and is headed toward a full House floor vote. No firm date is set for that vote. This bill targets the San Francisco Bay specifically and has no direct effect on Hennepin County residents.
See what's up for a vote now · Find your representatives