Despite securing an overwhelming mandate from voters in last month’s general election, Gov. Josh Green is already getting pushback from the leaders of the state House and Senate on the eve of the upcoming legislative session.

With new House and Senate chairs and a new administration, Senate President Ron Kouchi told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s “Spotlight Hawaii” livestream program on Wednesday that “there’s going to be a getting-to-know-you period.” Further, Kouchi made it clear that he will not rubber stamp Green’s Cabinet members when they come up for Senate confirmation.

Kouchi said he does not know one-quarter to one-third of Green’s nominees and needs more information and meetings with them. Even those in the lineup that Kouchi knows well — such as former Honolulu Council Chair Ikaika Anderson, who is the nominee to head the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands — will have to provide more details, such as Anderson’s plan on how to spend $600 million the Legislature allocated last year to help clear the backlog of Home Lands beneficiaries, Kouchi said.

“I’m taking an open-minded approach,” Kouchi said, but then added: “At this point, for most of the people I’ve talked to I’ve said I’m not ready to commit my support yet. I’d like to see how you perform in the position that you have and we’ll schedule a follow-up appointment.”

House Speaker Scott Saiki appeared with Kouchi on Spotlight and said, “I personally like Gov. Green. … He’s always been someone who’s been excited to be here, to be in government and in public service. I know that he wants to work very closely with the Legislature. He’s going to be action-oriented. I think he’ll be decisive, although I did suggest to him that he not be too decisive. Sometimes you have to take a step back and think about your answer before you say something.”

During his eight years in office, former Gov. David Ige often was criticized by legislators as being too methodical and indecisive.

In a statement responding to the two lawmakers comments, Green told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser: “I have great respect for my colleagues in the Legislature. Their work in service to the people of Hawaii is something I’ve always greatly admired. My commitment to the Legislature is to have an open door and build collaborative partnerships.”

He continued, “At times, my work as governor can be challenging, especially when the House and Senate have opposing views on key issues. But my leadership will continue to be one that hears from all stakeholders and reaches a compromise as often as possible, while also being decisive and intentional. I’ve been meeting regularly with House and Senate leadership to make sure priorities of this administration are discussed and can move forward. My administration is also planning a freshman legislators open house so that we can welcome them and begin building a better Hawaii together.”

Before his appearance on Spotlight Wednesday, Kouchi met with Green about Green’s Cabinet nominees and affordable housing issues. As Kouchi left, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke walked in for a meeting with Green carrying a note pad, suggesting a genuine partnership. “I’m encouraged to see that what they’ve been saying publicly is happening behind closed doors,” Kouchi said.

Additionally, Kouchi said he appreciated a more liberal interpretation by new state Attorney General Anne Lopez that freed up nearly $50 million in grants in aid to about 180 nonprofit groups to help “the most vulnerable in our community.”

Overall, though, Kouchi and Saiki made it clear that there’s plenty of room for disagreement with Green on a wide range of issues, including:

>> The future of Aloha Stadium.

Both Saiki and Kouchi voted to approve $350 million for a new stadium but worry that another $75 million in projected costs will lead to more inflated costs on the heels of the city’s rail project and its history of missed deadlines. “I do not want the stadium project to turn into another rail project,” Saiki said. He called a future Aloha Stadium “a prime opportunity for us to do something great.”

Kouchi, especially, wants to see a hotel near a new Aloha Stadium that would be occupied year-round by families and athletes attending nearby sports events as well as by contractors and vendors working at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

>> Green’s idea for new tourist fees of $50 to $100 to offset damage to the environment and discourage overuse of state attractions.

Rather than imposing an overarching “Green fee,” Saiki said he supports a more narrowly focused “Kouchi fee” aimed at specific state parks in a concept that has expanded across the state, including at Diamond Head State Monument. Kouchi said he would like an online reservation system to connect tourists to local vendors to help boost sales of Hawaii products.

>> Legalizing recreational marijuana. In his gubernatorial campaign, Green said he supported recreational marijuana for adults at least 21 years old and that related tax revenues could fund programs aimed at substance abuse.

The Legislature created a Dual Use of Cannabis Task Force, which this year looked at the ramifications of adding legal recreational marijuana to Hawaii’s medical marijuana industry. Saiki said he awaits the task force’s report, but both he and Kouchi suggested they will proceed cautiously. Saiki noted that federal law still bans marijuana and Kouchi said, “I’m not one that’s very excited about passing marijuana legislation. But I’m pragmatic if this is the direction of the caucus. The bill will go through if that’s what they see.”

The task force has reported lackluster tax revenue tied to medical marijuana, and Kouchi said recreational marijuana taxes “may not be the revenue-generating mechanism that it’s being advertised at.”

Kouchi and Saiki also are prepared for plenty of debate on Green’s proposal to help struggling residents by eliminating the state’s general excise tax on food and medicine — and whether to create statewide laws on carrying firearms in public — rather than having a mix of laws imposed by counties. “I certainly think we will take up gun bills looking to continue to keep residents safe,” Kouchi said. “I expect we will see several bills related to how we deal with firearms.”