Depends what you mean by halachic authority. While the wife has to follow her husband’s minhagim (igros moshe orach chaim 1:158), if she has a shailah about halacha- *as opposed to minhag*- then she should ask a rav. Her husband has no ability to pasken a shailah for her (unless he is a talmid chacham), other than when it comes to clarifying his own family’s minhagim.
Besides, on a basic issue like berachos, women should know the halachos anyway (per the rema in yoreh deah 246:6
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