Maura Healey: Commonwealth's 73rd governor takes oath of office

BOSTON — The top two women in Massachusetts, newly-inaugurated Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kimberly Driscoll, swore fealty to the commonwealth Thursday in an inauguration ceremony filled ritual, pomp and even some laughs inside the House Chamber at the Statehouse.

The women, who complimented each other from the podium, assured the state Legislature, and watching public, that they are committed to working together, working with legislators from both sides of the aisle, working with local lawmakers from around the state and to getting things done.

As they addressed the joint meeting of the House and Senate following the oath of office administered by Senate President Karen Spilka, the women touched on their history and their backgrounds and thanked their supporters.

Ready to work together, get stuff done

In her remarks, Driscoll, whose speech preceded Healey’s, reminded lawmakers that as the longtime mayor of Salem having served 17 years in the position, she hails from the “get stuff done” branch of political life Massachusetts. She assured them that it is a trait that she will continue to embrace in the Statehouse.

“I know firsthand that what happens in this building impacts the quality of life of the people who live within our 351 cities and towns,” Driscoll said.

The newest lieutenant thanked her most avid supporters; her family; husband and children, her 89-year-old father, who was sitting in the House Gallery, and the women who preceded her and Healey in political life.

Driscoll named former senate presidents, former lieutenant governors like herself, and Jane Swift, the only other woman who carried out the duties of Massachusetts governor.

Swift was appointed to the position in April 2001 through January 2003 with the reassignment of Gov. Paul Cellucci as the U.S. ambassador to Canada during the George W. Bush administration.

Both Driscoll and Healey referenced the current political divide in the U.S., and praised the work of the former administration to operate in a bipartisan, people-centric manner; governing with a “wide lens, a big heart and an open mind,” Driscoll said.

Baker lauded as even-keeled role model

Healey also thanked her predecessor Gov. Charlie Baker “who led this commonwealth with a steady hand. He has governed with integrity and care” and set an example for eight years, Healey said and thanked him for his service.

In her 30-minute speech, Healey, the state's first elected woman governor, and one of few openly gay governors in the country, touched on her family’s longevity in Massachusetts, claiming a 300-year history in the commonwealth starting in Newburyport.

She also retold the story of her grandmother bringing a bag of dirt to the Maryland delivery room where she was born so that she landed on Massachusetts soil.

Massachusetts roots include university experience for both

“Massachusetts has been my home ever since,” Healey said.

Though Healey grew up in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, she attended two Massachusetts-based universities; Harvard as an undergraduate where she played point guard on the women’s Crimson basketball team, and Northeastern, where she studied law.

'It is the honor of my life to lead this state," Healey said.

People, she said, move to Massachusetts to write their own stories, to become their own firsts (first elected woman governor, first to attend college, first to become American, first in achievement or honors). They come to take up the common good.

And while recognizing the opportunities in Massachusetts for higher learning, enlightenment and innovation; opportunities to forge a better future and to achieve goals and dreams, Healey also despaired of the barriers “holding back our people and our state.”

“We have to make Massachusetts a place that people can afford to call home,” she said. “Our people can’t realize their dreams until we end the nightmare of high costs.”

First 100 days agenda

Referencing the high cost of housing, child care, health care and education, Healey laid out her plan for her first 100 days to address some of those concerns as she pledged to make Massachusetts more affordable for everyone.

In her sights: tax reform, child tax credits, housing issues, support for education both primary and secondary, new programs to train workers linked to business and industry needs. She issued a plea from the rostrum to local legislators asking that they revisit zoning laws, find and rehabilitate existing housing and find ways to use public land to provide housing for residents.

Among the first steps, she said, is the creation of the Secretary of Housing, a cabinet level position to work with state and local legislators to address the high cost of rents and the low home-ownership rates. Her Secretary of Administration and Finance is already looking at state-owned land through a development lens “to identify unused state-owned land and facilities that we can turn not rental housing or homes within one year.”

Healey said she expects to work closely with legislators in both the senate and House on tax reform; reforms that include child tax credits and expanded deductions to encourage home-ownership.

Calling it a crisis, Healey discussed the need to reduce the cost of child care, the second highest in the nation following the District of Columbia, while increasing care workers’ salaries.

“Let’s finally pass legislation in line with Common Start to make sure every family pays what they can afford and that care workers are paid what their deserve,” Healey said.

As she addressed the crowd, Healey singled out Massachusetts businesses and entrepreneurs pledging to work with the state’s vocational and technical schools to ensure offered training and programs mesh with the needs of the business community to continue to grow the economy.

“In my first budget, I will create and fund a new program called MassReconnect: a plan to offer free community college to young adults over the age of 25 who lack degrees. She also plans to enhance college opportunities and increase funding for the state university system.

Climate chief to be named

In terms of the climate crisis Healey said she's certain that Massachusetts can, and will, lead the world. Under her watch, she promised the state will invest in offshore wind and solar, energy storage and electrify the public fleet with a million electrical vehicles on the road.

Healey pledged to create the first cabinet level climate chief Friday and proposed to invest 1% of state budget in environmental and energy agencies.

Attending her inauguration; but from the outside looking in, were about a dozen members of the group Extinction Rebellion Boston, demanding an end to the continuous building and extension of gas pipelines, the shuttering of the Peabody natural gas power plant and cessation of other, similar projects.

The first 100 days of Healey includes a new safety chief for the MBTA to inspect every inch of track and address the transit system’s safety issues. One of her first priorities is the hiring of 1,000 new workers; from bus operators to dispatchers, carmen to engineers, all positions that have been decimated by five years of budget cuts and lack of investment in infrastructure.

The state’s roads and bridges also are in her target; she will form an inter-agency task force dedicated to identifying and competing for every federal dollar available.

While Healey celebrated the wonder, beauty and splendor of Massachusetts, and its bounty, she also recognized that many cannot benefit from the bounty that is out of reach of many.

Under her watch, Healey said, every governmental agency will operate through the lens of equity.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Women secure Massachusetts top leadership; all but secretary of state