TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach's attempts to influence immigration policy and how the U.S. conducts elections are expected to pull his home-state Legislature into two contentious political debates in the coming year.

And those debates will reinforce his reputation as a polarizing political figure.

Kobach is a conservative Republican and former law professor who helped write Arizona and Alabama laws against illegal immigration. He advises Kansas legislators looking to do the same.

He said in an interview that he's not leading the push for measures like Arizona's "check your papers" law. But some officials think such issues wouldn't gain as much interest in Kansas without him.

Meanwhile, he plans to follow up a law he advocated requiring all voters to show photo identification at the polls.