LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — State officials who investigate allegations of attorney misconduct have declined to pursue a grievance filed by Sen. Ernie Chambers against a former Nebraska Supreme Court justice.

Chambers had asked the Supreme Court’s Counsel for Discipline to disbar former Justice Max Kelch, who resigned Feb. 15 after a judicial ethics complaint was filed against him. Chambers on Wednesday sent a letter to Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Heavican, arguing that the matter should be investigated.

Judicial ethics complaints remain confidential unless a commission uncovers probable cause for discipline. Kelch stepped down before that could happen. He had been on the court for less than two years.

Counsel of Discipline Mark Weber says in a letter to Chambers he doesn’t have jurisdiction to investigate the grievance.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska State Patrol says troopers have seized more than 115 pounds of cocaine and a substance believed to be a powerful synthetic opioid during a traffic stop.

The patrol says trooper found the cocaine and suspected fentanyl in a false compartment inside a semitrailer stopped Thursday morning on Interstate 80 near Kearney.

The patrol says the compartment held 73 pounds of foil-wrapped cocaine and 44 pounds of a powder suspected to be fentanyl. The street value of the drugs is estimated between $5 million and $10 million.

The 46-year-old truck driver and his 52-year-old passenger, both of New Jersey, were arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and having no drug tax stamp.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Democratic candidate for Nebraska lieutenant governor criticized Gov. Pete Ricketts on Tuesday for his veto of a bill she introduced as a state senator this year to expand mental health services in schools.

Sen. Lynne Walz, of Fremont, made the comments while touring the state with her new running mate, Democratic governor hopeful Bob Krist. The tour seeks to introduce Walz to voters after Krist named her as his running mate this week.

Walz said she was shocked the governor vetoed the bill because it “because it would have helped so many kids.”

“Whatever the reason, the fact remains that children that need mental health services will now be ignored or remain in the shadows because the governor said ‘no,'” Walz said. “That is not Nebraska at its best.”

Ricketts, a Republican, has said he shares concerns about mental health services in schools but argued that Walz’s bill was unnecessary. The bill would have placed social workers in the state’s educational service units to help identify children who need mental and behavioral health services. The $3.6 million program would have relied on private donations for three years.

In his veto letter, Ricketts said the bill would have required the state to run a privately funded grant program. He also argued that people can already made donations to the service units.

The proposal “unnecessarily inserts the state between private funders and the political subdivision receiving those donations,” he said in the letter.

Krist still has to win Nebraska’s May 15 Democratic primary to secure the party’s nomination for governor. He is running against Democrats Vanessa Gayle Ward and Tyler Davis, both of Omaha.

On Tuesday, he praised Walz as a strong advocate for education, rural economic development and people with special needs.

“Lynn understands the problems faced by most Nebraskans in their daily lives,” Krist said. “As lieutenant governor, she will be their voices and work with me to make sure their voices are heard.”

Walz was elected to the Legislature in 2016, when she defeated then-Sen. David Schnoor, of Scribner, who was appointed to the seat by Ricketts.

Walz, a married mother of three and grandmother of three, works as a real estate agent after previous stints as a teacher. She also has been active in civic organizations in Fremont and has worked to provide services for people with disabilities.

Authorities say thunderstorms and tornadoes have left behind minor damage in parts of Nebraska and Iowa.

Two tornadoes were reported Tuesday evening in southern Nebraska, including one that caused minor damage but no injuries near Doniphan. The other touched down briefly just north of Odell.

Straight-line wind gusts of 80 mph (129 kph) also were reported.

The National Weather Service says strong winds destroyed or badly damaged outbuildings in Shelby, Iowa. Officials say a pole barn was knocked down, and grain bins also were damaged.

Baseball- and softball-size hail was reported in several spots in both states.

Heavy rain accompanied the storms, causing minor flooding in low-lying spots. The weather service says nearly 3 inches (nearly 8 centimeters) fell in Little Sioux, Iowa, in about an hour.