Below are the remarks by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll as ready for her inauguration, January 5, 2023:
Madam President, Mr. Speaker, and members of the Legislature.
Governor Healey, Madame Chief Justice, members of our Judiciary, and members of the Governor’s Council.
Our incoming and outgoing Constitutional Officers and Cabinet Secretaries. Distinguished friends, household and mates.
It is the dignity of a lifetime for this Navy brat, public larger ed grad, and Gateway City Mayor to be standing right here as your Lieutenant Governor.
Thank you all for being right here to mark this historic second.
I’m so grateful to have members of my household right here to share on this special occasion. My 89 12 months previous Navy veteran father, Fred, flew in for this event together with my sister Chrystal, my niece, Aunts, uncles and cousins who’re right here from close to and much. Thank you for being right here.
And I owe a particular debt of appreciation and because of my husband Nick and our youngsters Delaney, Ailish, and Nicky. You have all the time been there for me. Thank you to your persistence, sacrifices, and all of your assist. I wouldn’t be right here with out your love and assist. I’m grateful and I like you.
Thank you to the gifted people and teams who’ve honored us with their presence and performances right this moment.
I additionally wish to acknowledge members of the army, our Gold Star and bereaved army households, together with members of the Ayube household who got here right here right this moment from Salem.
To Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Murphy –
To Governor Jane Swift –
To Senate President Terry Murray –
To the handfuls of ladies who I’ve not named however who’ve created a pathway in your fearlessness. You have my immense gratitude and nice respect. Maura and I are honored to stroll within the path you blazed. Thank you.
As we embark on the beginning of a brand new Administration, we start on sturdy footing due to the work of Governor Baker and Lieutenant Governor Polito.
At a time when our nationwide politics are shifting within the different path, they selected a bipartisan, people-centered strategy and ruled with a large lens, an enormous coronary heart and an open thoughts.
I do know each Governor Healey and I wish to lengthen our gratitude for his or her assist, encouragement and collaboration all through the transition.
Please be part of me in thanking them for his or her years of devoted service to our Commonwealth.
Madam President and Mister Speaker, the regular fingers of this Legislature have helped to make sure that Massachusetts is not only surviving, however thriving within the face of right this moment’s world challenges. With your management, our state has offered secure haven and secured file sources to take a position again into bettering the standard of life in all our communities.
Thank you, the members of this Legislature from all through our wonderful Commonwealth, for the work you do day by day. We are so grateful to hitch you in service to this place we’re all lucky sufficient to name dwelling.
And to my accomplice and teammate … Madam Governor! I actually just like the sound of that.
It is my nice honor to make historical past with you, my pal. The voters have entrusted us with an amazing duty and an superior alternative. Like so many residents of our Commonwealth, I’ve been impressed by your work because the People’s Lawyer and I’m thrilled to be by your aspect as you function the People’s Governor.
Many of me because the Mayor of Salem and having served as an area chief from the ‘get stuff done’ department of presidency for the final 17 years, I do know firsthand that
what occurs on this constructing impacts the standard of lifetime of the individuals who stay inside our 351 cities and cities.
Mayors and native officers are on the entrance traces doing a number of the most necessary work residents depend on – educating our youngsters; maintaining our neighborhoods secure; investing within the locations the place we make reminiscences and supporting wholesome and vibrant communities.
Good cities and good cities, they don’t occur accidentally. It takes intentional and considerate management and a complete lot of exhausting work and collaboration – amongst state and federal governments, personal and public sector companions, and establishments of all sizes and magnitude.
Those of us on this room elected to symbolize folks all through Massachusetts know that it’s attainable to satisfy our collective wants in housing, in training, in transportation and local weather. After all, we’re a state with a wealthy historical past of firsts – from sparking a revolution at dwelling to sharing life-saving vaccines around the globe.
Now, greater than ever in our state’s historical past, we should lean into our roots and embrace the alternatives to develop, change, innovate – to convey folks collectively in development of our shared imaginative and prescient.
That is the promise of Governor Healey and that’s what we’re dedicated to delivering with you day by day – these subsequent 4 years.
It can’t be overstated that Massachusetts is at an necessary inflection level as we flip the nook on the pandemic. Our potential to assist thriving communities – and, as a consequence, have a thriving Commonwealth – would require a brand new dedication to embracing needed change as we transition into a brand new America – one the place you don’t need to stay in the identical place you’re employed, the place lengthy, congested commutes, costly housing and childcare shouldn’t dictate the place you develop your roots, begin your small business, age or retire.
Simply said, we are able to’t be a thriving state if we’re not assembly our housing and transportation wants; if we’re not addressing training and childcare inequities; or main the nation and albeit the world in terms of clear vitality, life sciences and superior manufacturing.
The subsequent 4 years are important. A sturdy Massachusetts economic system shouldn’t be computerized and regardless of sturdy fiscal balances, we’re nonetheless leaving too many people behind.
The upshot is now we have the instruments proper right here to make a significant affect on our most urgent challenges and we’re able to get stuff carried out.
I’m grateful that the folks of Salem put their religion in me 17 years in the past – an underdog candidate in a metropolis that had by no means voted to place a girl in cost, not to mention somebody who hadn’t grown up there. My dad, sitting proudly up there, he was a chef within the Navy. My mother was from Trinidad. I used to be born in Hawaii and, as a army household, we moved fairly a bit.
But it wasn’t till I got here to Salem and acquired the prospect to attend public school at Salem State that I lastly felt like I had a house city. Like a lot of you, I might have referred to as wherever dwelling after graduating however I fell in love with this place.
This wonderful tapestry of individuals and locations referred to as Massachusetts.
Rich with historical past and pure magnificence, a restlessness that comes when there’s an abundance of vitality and concepts filling a spot…a novel cultural vibrancy that runs by our nice sports activities groups and our classical musical halls. And most significantly, the folks – their values, compassion, intelligence, creativity – all the time striving to do higher – that’s what made me wish to name this place dwelling.
And it’s why I care about making our collective communities, our state, a greater place for folks to stay and work, to go to highschool, to begin a enterprise, to lift a household and to develop previous with dignity.
Governor Healey and I stand earlier than you right this moment with hope and gratitude.
We are excited to get to work with our new cupboard, and with all of you to construct on our present success; to convey folks collectively towards an aligned imaginative and prescient for a Commonwealth that works for and welcomes all.
It’s really an honor.
Now, let’s get to work.
Thank you.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”