oil I
By Brian Carlson
Staff writer
\ Mike Johanns took the oath of
office Thursday as Nebraska’s 38th gov
ernor, pledging to carry his victorious
campaign themes into his new office.
Johanns was sworn in by Nebraska
Supreme Court Justice John Hendry in
the legislative chamber Thursday after
noon. He then delivered an inaugural
address focusing on familiar themes
from his campaign: reduced govern
ment spending, lower taxes, stronger
law enforcement and economic devel
opment.
; Johanns, a Republican and former
mayor of Lincoln, offered few specific
proposals. Those are expected to be
unveiled later this month, with his State
of the State address tentatively set for
Jan. 27.
“It starts with smaller government,”
he said. “From coffee shops to letters to
the editor to the voting booths,
Nebraskans are sending a message: Do
everything you can to reduce the tax
burden while continuing to provide the
services Nebraskans need and expect at
a level of service they deserve.” 7
Elected leaders must “review, ana
lyze, reconfigure, prioritize and down
size our government,” in order to pro
vide tax relief, he said.
“If we will say no to rapid spending
growth, we can say yes to tax relief,” he
said.
Despite the defeat last November of
Initiative 413, which would have limited
the growth of government spending and
taxation, Nebraskans clearly want their
tax burden reduced, Johanns said.
He complimented the Legislature
on its efforts to reduce property taxes,
but he said more must be done. He said
he would submit a property tax relief
plan to the Legislature later this month.
“I ask you to debate it, tear it apart,
. put it back together and hopefully pass
it,” he said.
Calling public safety “the highest
purpose of government,” Johanns called
on the state to ensure that law enforce
ment is adequately funded and that
criminals receive “swift and sure jus
tice.” As a candidate, Johanns champi
oned increased funding for the State
Patrol.
In particular he said, the state must
fight the bingeoning methamphetamine
traffic in Nebraska.
Johanns made a general call for eco
nomic development, stressing educa
tional investment, work force develop
ment, affordable health care and invest
ment in the state’s transportation and
technology infrastructure.
The governor also promised to pro
vide leadership in the midst of the state’s
agricultural woes, manifested most
recently by a plunge in pork prices.
“The awfiil prices for com, beans,
wheat, beef and pork have been an eco
nomic nightmare to many in our state’s
most important industry,” he said.
“You have my personal commit
ment that I will do all I can to lead our
state through these trying times.”
Johanns said he would begin his
term by meeting individually with each
member of the Legislature.
“I am eager to work with all 49 of
you, and while we may not always agree
on every issue - in fact, I guarantee you
we won’t - when we disagree, it will be
with civility, fairness and respect,” he
said.
Speaker of the Legislature Doug
Kristensen of Minden said Johanns
delivered a “very appropriate” inaugur
al address consistent with his campaign
message.
He said he agreed with many of
Johanns’ goals and was eager to hear
more specific proposals.
“You could see he was making the
transition between being a candidate
and using a candidate’s rhetoric and
being a governor and carrying out poli
cy,” he said. “I expect that in his State of
the State address, he will put meat on
that.”
Sen. Roger Wehrbein of
Plattsmouth, chairman of the
Appropriations Committee, said the
speech echoed Nebraska citizens’ calls
for lower government spending and tax
«
You have
my personal
commitment that
I will do all I can to
lead our state
through these
trying times ”
Gov. Mike Johanns
relief.
“I think he’s right on key with what
Nebraskans are expecting from us,” he
said. “I think he laid his vision out for
where his focuses are to be very well.”
Revenue Committee Chairman
Sen. Bob Wickersham of Harrison said
he appreciated Johanns’ praise for the
Legislature’s efforts to cut property
taxes, as well as his call for further steps
in that regard. Most important, he said,
is that the Legislature and Johanns work
together to provide property tax relief
while preserving essential government
services for citizens.
Sen. Kermit Brashear of Omaha,
chairman of the Judiciary Committee,
said Johanns gave a good speech with
an appropriate emphasis on the econo
my. He also said he expected Johanns
would contribute important ideas for
improving law enforcement.
Also sworn in Thursday were the
following state officials: Attorney
General Don Stenberg, State Auditor
Kate Witek, State Treasurer Dave
Heineman, Secretary of State Scott
Moore and Lieutenant Governor David
Maurstad, all Republicans. Supreme
Court Justices William M. Connolly,
John M. Gerrard and John F. Wright
also were sworn in.
Daily Nebraskan writers Jessica
Fargen and Shane Anthony con
tributed to this report.
Dunagan charged
with manslaughter
■ The UNL freshman
and Regents Scholar
pleaded no contestto the
charges, and he may be
able to avoid jail time.
By Josh Funk
~ Senior staff writer
In mid-December, prosecutors
and defense attorneys reached an
agreement that may keep a UNL
freshman out of jail for killing his
father.
Matthew Dunagan, 18, pleaded
no contest to charges of manslaugh
ter and the use of a weapon to com
mit a felony for the Sept. 30, 1997,
shooting of his father, John
Dunagan.
Previously Dunagan was
charged with first-degree murder
and the use of a weapon to commit a
felony.
Prosecutors are preparing a pre
sentence investigation detailing the
circumstances of the shooting that
the judge will consider before sen
tencing Dunagan on Feb. 18.
Manslaughter carries a penalty
of one to 20 years in prison and/or a
$25,000 fine, but Lancaster County
Attorney Gary Lacey has said this
case calls for compassion.
Lacey would not say whether his
office would recommend prison
time. -
“We thought Mr. Dunagan’s
actions - while not legally justifi
able - were something a jury would
empathize with,” Lacey said.
Michael Hansen, one of
Dunagan’s lawyers, said their goal
was to keep Matthew out of jail.
Lacey said prosecutors reviewed
a detailed psychiatric evaluation of
Dunagan when considering a plea
agreement.
The evaluation showed a sys
tematic pattern of abuse over
Dunagan’s life, Lacey said, includ
ing physical brutality to his mother
and emotional abuse to the whole
family. - *■
“One thing that a prosecutor has
to do is see that justice is done,”
Lacey said. “(Dunagan) must be
punished, but the facts of the case
did not warrant first- or second
degree murder.”
On Sept. 30, 1997, police offi
cers were called for a shooting in the
early morning hours to the Dunagan
home in southwest Lincoln where
Matthew and his parents, John and
Kay, lived.
Kay Dunagan called 911 at
12:40 a.m., and reported that “... my
husband is an alcoholic, he was
drunk, he was going to kill me and
my son defended me.”
Police reports filed in Lancaster
County court detail the events of that
night leading up to the shooting:
Kay and John Dunagan had been
arguing earlier that evening, which
reportedly was common when John
drank.
During the argument Matthew
Dunagan went to his room and
loaded a 12-gauge shotgun in case
the argument got physical.
About two hours later, after the
argument ended, John Dunagan was
talking with Matthew downstairs.
John Dunagan became upset
when Matthew suggested the possi
bility of divorce, and said “he ought
to blow the bitch’s head off.”
Then Matthew Dunagan went
upstairs to his room, got the shotgun
and returned to the living room,
where he shot his father three times
as he lay on the couch.
Matthew Dunagan was jailed for
the shooting until his mother bailed
him out a few days later.
Dunagan completed his senior
year of high school at Lincoln Pius
X with a private tutor. He graduated
with a 4.0 GPA.
This fall Dunagan, a Regents '
Scholar, took 12 hours of classes at
the University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
and he is registered for 16 hours in
the spring.
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