Governor, Nebraska

Mike Johanns - Biography

Mike Johanns began practicing law at the firm of Cronin & Hannon in O’Neill, Nebraska, then moved to Lincoln where he joined the law firm of Nelson Johanns Morris Holdeman & Titus. He sought public office for the first time in 1982 and was elected to a four-year term on the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners. After deciding not to run for re-election to the County Board, Johanns was elected to the Lincoln City Council in 1989. Two years later he successfully challenged the incumbent mayor of Lincoln. In 1995, Johanns was re-elected mayor without opposition. As mayor he focused on public safety, domestic abuse, economic development, and holding the line on property taxes.

Governor Johanns has made property tax relief, reducing the size of government, building the state’s economy, protecting families, and ensuring the health, safety and success of Nebraska’s children his priorities. A list of his major enacted initiatives 

• $85 million dollars in surplus state sales tax and state income tax dollars dedicated for direct property tax relief over two years and an expanded homestead exemption for seniors, veterans, and the disabled;
• reductions in the size and cost of the Governor’s office staff, elimination of the Washington lobbyist, restrictions on the use of state cars, an emphasis on e-government and technology applications, and the merger of the Department of Water Resources and Natural Resources Commission into the new Department of Natural Resources;
• incentives for business growth and job creation in rural and urban areas of Nebraska and an emphasis on value-added agriculture;
• tougher penalties for drug dealers, fourteen additional state troopers, increased technology for law enforcement, and settlement of a long-running labor disagreement between the state troopers’ union and the State; in the area of health care, boosted the state’s investment in mental health services, extended Medicaid coverage to the treatment of breast and cervical cancer for low income women, and directed the state’s share of the national tobacco settlement to health care needs including developmental disabilities, public health, mental health and biomedical research; and
• promoted adoption of foster children, a record number of children covered by health insurance, dramatically increased investment in early childhood education, increased state funding for K-through-12 and special education costs, and criminalized the offense of child enticement.

Governor Johanns has led five delegations of Nebraska government, business, and agriculture leaders on trade missions to eight countries including Japan, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Australia, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Brazil, and Chile. He has also been a very strong advocate for Nebraska agriculture producers during a period of depressed commodity prices and severe drought.

In his first year in office, Governor Johanns was selected as the lead governor for agriculture including the re-authorization of the federal farm bill for the Western Governors’ Association. For 2002, he chairs the Midwest Governors Conference, serves as co-chair of the Governors’ Public Power Alliance and Governors’ Bio-Tech Partnership, and serves as state government representative on the advisory committee to the Export-Import Bank of the United States. For 2002-2003, he chairs the National Governors’ Association Committee on Economic Development and Commerce, a post he also held in 2000-2001. In 2001, Governor Johanns served as chairman of the 25-state Governors’ Ethanol Coalition. 

Mike Johanns has two children and is married to Stephanie Johanns, a former Lancaster County Commissioner and former State Senator. Stephanie Johanns is currently Vice President of External Relations for Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri, for ALLTEL, a communications company.

Sincerely,

Mike Johanns
Governor, Nebraska

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