It’s Mass. vs DC as Healey boosts vaccines and Wu battles DOJ suit

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The first eight months of Donald Trump's second term in the White House repeatedly revealed tensions between Massachusetts Democrats and a federal government that wants to do most everything differently. And there's no thaw on the horizon.

It was haymaker after haymaker this week, from the Department of Justice suing Boston over the city's immigration policy to the governor effectively seceding from a federal vaccine infrastructure she believes has been "hijacked" by an anti-science mindset.

State officials have been growing more and more concerned about the outlook for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., who faced a fiery Congressional hearing this week over his approach to the job and his personnel decisions.

Months after asking state lawmakers to give her administration more power over vaccine policy -- a request that has been idling with the Legislature on vacation -- Healey decided it's time for even more action.

The Department of Public Health newly enabled pharmacists to administer vaccines and emergency medications approved by the state public health commissioner, making more options available beyond those that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration backs. At the same time, regulators ordered insurers to cover vaccines recommended by DPH and not to rely only on CDC recommendations.

Healey pitched it as a groundbreaking approach that no other state had taken.

"The government is failing its responsibility to Americans, including Bay Staters," Healey said. "So we're here to say: This is not going to happen in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, we will not let Donald Trump or Robert Kennedy get in the way of patients, and the care, and the treatments and the medication that they want and need."

Some Democrat administrations in other states are forging a breakaway, too. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order Friday allowing pharmacists there to administer COVID vaccines without a prescription. Out west, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson launched an effort to coordinate public health guidance up and down the west coast.

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Another federal feud further escalated Thursday when the DOJ filed a civil lawsuit asking a judge to invalidate Boston's "Trust Act," which for years has limited city police from holding people on civil immigration detainers.

The Trump administration alleges that Boston's policy "singles out the Federal Government for disfavored treatment" and undermines immigration enforcement efforts.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu pledged to fight in no uncertain terms, declaring that "we will not yield."

Another fight that has been developing for months and has recently reached a fever pitch is over offshore wind.

Just in the last seven days, the federal government canceled $679 million in funding for wind projects, including $34 million for a port in Salem; the Trump administration signaled it also intends to reconsider permits for SouthCoast Wind and for New England Wind; Rhode Island and Connecticut attorneys general filed a lawsuit over the stop-work order at the nearly complete Revolution Wind; and a federal judge heard arguments in a major, multistate case challenging Trump's pause of wind permitting.

Got all that?

Attorney General Andrea Campbell and more than a dozen of her counterparts are hopeful their lawsuit will create at least some sort of opening for wind projects to regain momentum. Elected officials in pro-wind states, especially Massachusetts, see quite a lot at stake, warning that major job growth, energy independence, climate benefits and more could be put out of reach by continued federal resistance.

Boston is at an economic crossroads. The vitality of its downtown business district, drained by the COVID-19 epidemic, continues to slowly rebound but has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Commercial property values have declined, creating the potential for major budget challenges for the most property-tax dependent big city in America. With Boston’s financial underpinnings at risk, what is the strategy and vision for Boston’s future, particularly for its major business districts? Join business and community leaders to explore challenges and opportunities ahead. Register here!

Healey has been one of the biggest champions of the potential of wind. This week, she also gave her support to a proposal to deploy more natural gas over the next decade, pledging to take an "all-of-the above approach to energy resources."

Energy giant Enbridge plans to expand the Algonquin Gas Transmission Pipeline, which it expects to complete in 2029 and bring more reliable supply with less need to import costly liquefied natural gas.

Campaign season being a year-plus affair, Healey's support for the transmission project prompted one of the Republicans hoping to unseat her to take a shot at the governor.

"Healey was against natural gas before she was for it. As Attorney General, she blatantly bragged about stopping two natural gas pipelines that would have lowered the cost on ratepayers," said GOP gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve. "Now facing a tough re-election battle, she is in favor. It is clear that when it comes to protecting the taxpayers and ratepayers, Healey cannot be trusted."

Two years after Treasurer Deborah Goldberg first suspended Shannon O'Brien from the Cannabis Control Commission, the bruising political fight lurched into yet another new phase.

Superior Court Judge Robert Gordon concluded that Goldberg did not have a proper rationale to suspend and then fire O'Brien, likening the case to "thin gruel." In a lengthy decision rife with metaphors and literary comparisons -- one footnote describes the feud as a "Dickensian drama" -- Gordon ordered O'Brien to be reinstated and awarded back pay.

"The Treasurer's grounds for misconduct may look like bricks in shape, and edges and surface appearance. But viewed from any perspective other than the Treasurer's, these bricks are as thin as playing cards," Gordon wrote. "Resting on walls constructed of same, the Treasurer's case for gross misconduct against O'Brien turns out to be just that: a house of cards."

Yet O'Brien's return is not quite imminent. Goldberg quickly moved to appeal the ruling, arguing that the judge "got it wrong" and that allowing O'Brien to resume her role at the CCC could disrupt its work. Appeals Court Judge Gloria Tan temporarily stayed O'Brien's return while she reviews the appeal.

Any bets on how much longer this fight will last?

KELLER AT LARGE: 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV. Political analyst Jon Keller's guest is Brian Shortsleeve, a Republican candidate for governor. They discuss housing policy, taxes and immigration issues.

NBC10 BOSTON: 9:30 a.m., NBC 10. Reporter Matt Prichard interviews Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson.

ON THE RECORD: 11 a.m., WCVB. The guest is U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, whose district includes Lawrence, Lowell and Fitchburg.

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