(BIVN) – Josh B. Green, M.D., on Monday was officially sworn in as the ninth Governor of the State of Hawai‘i.

“When we come together, we can meet any challenge, and accomplish anything we set our minds to,” said Governor Green, once a Big Isand doctor. “We can set an example for the whole world on the issues of housing, homelessness, poverty, and climate change if we truly come together and commit to putting our values of ‘ohana and aloha into practice – and make them a reality for everyone in Hawai‘i.”

In a news release issued after the inauguration ceremony at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center Arena on Oʻahu, Green outlined plans to unite the state towards a common purpose, including:

• Empowering the Department of Hawaiian Homelands to deliver on the state’s commitment to Native Hawaiians by housing the thousands of Hawaiian families on the waiting list.
• Addressing the healthcare disparities that affect the citizens of Hawai‘i.
• Using scholarships to pay down loans that healthcare professionals like social workers, nurses, and doctors have accrued so they can afford to provide care for those in Hawai‘i who need it the most.
• Eliminating regressive taxes, like the tax on food and medicine, which often disproportionately impacts those struggling to survive from paycheck to paycheck.
• Finding a path to restore justice to those who have lost their way and have been forgotten by the legal system, but do not deserve to be lost forever.
• Addressing the effects of climate change on Hawai‘i and the planet, and reaching the state’s ambitious renewable energy goals.

The text of Gov. Green’s full speech has been posted online.  

During the same ceremony, Sylvia Luke was sworn in as Lt. Governor for the State of Hawai‘i. Luke is the first person of Korean ancestry elected to statewide office.