TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Senate has advanced Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s proposal to give his office the power to prosecute election fraud cases.

But Tuesday’s debate on the measure exposed a split among Republicans who control the Legislature. Kobach also is a Republican.

The Senate gave the bill first-round approval on a voice vote. It’s expected to pass in a final vote Wednesday and go to the House.

Kobach says county prosecutors are usually too busy to pursue election fraud cases. But critics say there’s not enough election fraud to justify such a move.

The measure also boosts the penalties for election crimes. Senators considered an amendment to strip out the provision giving Kobach’s office prosecutorial power.

The vote was 23-15 against the amendment. But eight Republicans supported it.

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A key Republican legislator says he’s not sure how Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s efforts to obtain the authority to prosecute election fraud cases will fare when the state Senate debates the measure.

The Senate was taking up the bill Tuesday. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jeff King, a Republican from Independence, said senators have supported the concept in the past but are likely to have questions about the details.

Kobach has argued that his office needs to the power to pursue election fraud cases because county prosecutors have too many other cases that are a higher priority for them.

But Kobach’s critics contend that there’s no need for such a change.

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley said while Kobach is an attorney, future secretaries of state might not be.