WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — When iconic Dodge City, once the home to Wild West gunslingers and buffalo hunters, faced a lawsuit before the midterm elections for moving its sole polling place outside city limits, its top elections official turned to a hired legal gun to battle charges of voter suppression.

Ford County Clerk Debbie Cox hired Bradley Schlozman, who is little-known outside the legal community but well-known for defending states and towns accused of trying to restrict voting.

“I sort of liken it to someone who is accused of arson showing up at the trial with kerosene and matches,” Micah Kubic, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, said of the hiring of Schlozman.

Schlozman was a top lawyer in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in the George W. Bush administration who has been involved in some of the thorniest voting issues of the last two decades.

At the Justice Department, Schlozman in 2005 backed Georgia, among the first states to enact a voter ID law, overruling the department’s career attorneys who had argued it would reduce voting by minorities. After a court struck it down as an unconstitutional poll tax because it required voters to pay for IDs, lawmakers revised it in 2006 to make it easier to get IDs for free.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic and moderate Republican lawmakers worked together last year to try to make Kansas the latest state to expand Medicaid, only to see their bipartisan effort rewarded with a veto from former conservative GOP Gov. Sam Brownback.

The election this month of a governor who supports Medicaid expansion seemed to remove the biggest hurdle for those hoping to bring health coverage to thousands of the state’s poor. But it’s not that simple.

In the same election that put Democrat Laura Kelly in the governor’s office, Kansas voters also elected a more conservative Legislature. Any bill seeking to expand Medicaid will have a tougher time getting to the governor’s desk.

“I’m still looking at every possible way that we can stop that,” said state Rep. Dan Hawkins, a conservative Republican from Wichita who is chairman of the House’s health committee.

Republicans retained their large majorities in both chambers and will appoint the leaders of the committees, who can help them bottle up or kill legislation they don’t like. In this month’s election, conservatives gained at least half a dozen seats in the House and might replace the chamber’s majority leader, a moderate, with someone who leans further to the right. Hawkins is vying for the post.

In the Senate, the health committee chairwoman is a moderate Republican who was instrumental in pushing Medicaid expansion last year but is leaving her position after being elected state insurance commissioner. Her replacement is likely to be more conservative.

With conservatives in control of the majority party, Kelly will likely have to make concessions on Medicaid expansion to get enough support to pass the Legislature. One could be a work requirement for recipients, something other Republican-leaning states have imposed.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a 16-year-old who was taken at gunpoint from a Topeka apartment has been found safe and two men have been arrested.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that an Amber Alert was issued for the 16-year-old after the abduction was reported around 12:30 a.m. Thursday. Topeka police Lt. Manny Munoz says the assailants left after brandishing a silver handgun and “ordering everyone on the ground.”

Several hours later, police announced that the 16-year-old had been located in “good health,” along with one of the suspects. Police say that suspect and another suspect were later booked into jail on suspicion of aggravated burglary. Both of the suspects are 19.

It wasn’t known where the 16-year-old was found.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Outgoing Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer has signed an executive order giving paid parental leave to more than 17,000 government employees.

The order signed Wednesday makes all state employees under the governor’s jurisdiction eligible for paid leave after the birth or adoption of a child. Primary caregivers will receive six weeks of paid leave, while secondary caregivers will receive three weeks. During the leave, employees will receive 100 percent of their regular salary, The Wichita Eagle reports.

“I think this is an important initiative for all Kansans” Colyer said in a statement. “It shows how important our children are to us and how much we value family here in Kansas.”

The order doesn’t apply to the Legislature or judicial branch. Agencies headed by other elected officials, such as the secretary of state’s office, also aren’t included. With the order, Kansas becomes one of 15 states, including Missouri, to provide paid parental leave to employees.

“I want state employees to have the same type of benefits that you see in private businesses across our state and nation; and I encourage all other statewide elected officials and agencies to adopt comparable policies for their employees,” Colyer said.

Colyer spokeswoman Kara Zeyer said the state’s previous policy allowed employees to use vacation or sick time when taking leave.

The Kansas City-based Women’s Foundation quickly congratulated Colyer on the move, which comes in his final months in office.

“This is great news for state employees, and all Kansans who will benefit from a healthier, stronger and more productive state workforce,” Wendy Doyle, President and CEO of the Women’s Foundation, said in a statement.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A Missouri man pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing scrap metal from a railroad terminal operation in Kansas, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Justin Drescher, 49, Kearney, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property. In his plea, Drescher admitted he was working as a truck driver for Razorback Rail Services when the crime occurred. Razorback was a primary subcontractor providing maintenance and repair work for the Kansas City Terminal Railway Company.

As part of the scheme, Drescher and other Razorback employees were told where to find scrap rail and metal belonging to KCT. They transported the metal to Razorback to be sold instead of placing it in KCT’s metal bins with a competitive scrap metal business. Razorback and its employees, including Drescher, received payment for the stolen scrap metal.

Sentencing is set for March 19. He faces a penalty of up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. McAllister commended the Internal Revenue Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.