TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Sam Brownback says he has the right to wait longer than 90 days to fill a vacant district magistrate position.

A written response filed Monday in the Kansas Supreme Court on Brownback’s behalf says the “precise timing of the appointment is left to the Governor’s constitutionally-provided executive power.”

Three 26th District judges filed a petition last month after Brownback announced he would wait until after the August primaries to consider filling the vacancy. The opening was created when Judge Tommy Webb of Haskell County announced his retirement in February.

The petition seeks to force Brownback to fill the position, saying Kansas law requires five magistrate judges to serve the six-county district. Brownback contends in the court filing that granting the request would “violate the separation of powers.”

EAST MOLINE, Ill. (AP) — A 6-year-old boy has been reunited with his mother after authorities in Illinois say his estranged father took the child to Thailand.

Daniel Glaus, who is the non-custodial parent, was arrested over the weekend in Bangkok on kidnapping charges. The 48-year-old Glaus is awaiting extradition.

East Moline police Lt. Darren Gault says the boy’s mother filed a report on June 19 stating her son had not returned from a court-arranged visitation with his father. Gault says investigators determined Glaus had flown out of the country with the boy.

The father was detained Sunday by Royal Thai Police on an immigration violation, and the boy was turned over to the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok.

Gault says the boy was reunited with his mother in the U.S. on Tuesday.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s still nice, and it’s also still home to the good life.

State officials Tuesday unveiled the new state government brand: “Good Life. Great Opportunity.”

The Good Life line echoes a 1970s tourism slogan that still can been seen on some highway signs around the state. The new brand will appear on new state letterhead, online and in other official places.

Various state agencies will build off the Good Life line. The Nebraska State Patrol will use, “Good Life. Great Tradition.” The Roads Department will make it, “Good Life. Great Journey.”

The state’s tourism slogan will remain “Nebraska Nice,” but the governor is encouraging agencies not under his direct control to switch to the Good Life brand.

The Lincoln-based advertising firm Firespring was paid $62,500 to develop the brand.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Advocates for people with disabilities are urging the federal government to require Kansas to quickly clear its backlog of Medicaid applications and to resolve problems with its application process as a condition for approving any renewal of its privatized program.

The Disability Rights Center asked the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to force Kansas to document a “realistic plan” to eliminate the backlog and to notify all applicants of their appeal rights. It also wants Kansas to inform approved applicants they are entitled to retroactive coverage.

The Kansas Department for Health and Environment told The Topeka Capital Journal that the state is not required to inform people of their right to a hearing, but does so anyway if an application takes longer than 45 days to process.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas board has approved a temporary rule requiring county election officials to throw out thousands of votes cast in state and local races by people who have registered without providing proof of their U.S. citizenship.

The State Rules and Regulations Board’s action Tuesday came only a day before Kansas opens advance voting for its Aug. 2 primary.

The rule was sought by Secretary of State Kris Kobach and will be in effect for 120 days, through the Nov. 8 general election.

The affected voters registered at motor vehicle offices without providing citizenship papers as required by a 2013 state law. About 17,000 are in that category.

A federal judge ruled in May that federal law requires the state to register them as voters for federal races.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A cloud of uncertainty is hanging over a proposed cigarette tax hike after a Missouri appeals court panel changed the wording that voters would see on the November ballot.

The appeals panel ruled late last week that the initiative’s summary was insufficient, because it failed to say a new fee could rise annually with inflation.

An attorney for the sponsoring group, Raise Your Hand for Kids, said Monday that he has asked the full appeals court to reconsider the case and also is prepared to appeal to the state Supreme Court.

The ruling comes as election officials still are trying to determine whether the petition got enough valid signatures.

An attorney for a tobacco retailer opposing the measure says the wording change means those signatures should be invalidated.

EDGERTON, Kan. (AP) — Amazon is adding a 1,000-job fulfillment center in Kansas City, Kansas.

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and Kansas City, Kan., Mayor Mark Holland confirmed Monday that the e-commerce powerhouse will occupy an 856,000-square-foot industrial building. It is expected to open in late 2017 near Interstate 70.

The developer asked for a tax abatement in June and said an “online sales fulfillment business” would be the tenant. However, the company was not publicly identified then.

In March, Amazon announced a similar center in Edgerton. Amazon now has five facilities in Kansas. Brownback says the Kansas City, Kansas, center shouldn’t affect them. The company decided in 2014 to close a facility in Coffeyville.

The new center will feature classrooms to help employees earn their associate degrees.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City, Missouri, man has been indicted on second-degree murder linked to a 16-month-old boy’s beating death.

A Jackson County grand jury also indicted 31-year-old Nathaniel Littlefield on Friday with child abuse and child endangerment in connection with Messiah Henderson’s death June 1.

Authorities say the boy was taken to a hospital May 29 after his mother returned home from work and found him unresponsive with congestive breathing. Court documents allege that his mother reported that she left the child and his 5-month-old brother in Littlefield’s care while she was at work.

It is not immediately clear if Littlefield has an attorney.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Some enterprising children who wanted to help a suburban St. Louis officer who was shot during a traffic stop had a lot of helpful and generous customers.

The 10 children organized a lemonade stand in West St. Louis County Sunday to raise funds for Ballwin Police Officer Mike Flamion. He was in critical but stable condition Monday after being shot from behind by a man he stopped for speeding on Friday.

KMOX reports the kids hoped to raise about $20 but ended the day with $4,000 for the Flamion family.

One of the children’s mother, Kate Gieseler, said a Dierbergs store donated all the items when store officials heard what the children were doing. Several police and fire officials came to the stand Sunday to lend support.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Backers of a school training program designed to respond to situations involving active shooters say budget cuts could hamper the Missouri program.

Lawmakers budgeted $700,000 for the program this fiscal year. But Gov. Jay Nixon pared that down to $100,000 following lower-than-expected revenue growth. He said freezing funding was necessary to balance the budget.

Missouri School Boards’ Association’s Center for Education Safety Director Paul Fennewald told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the restricted funding will mean far fewer schools get money for training, which has included counter-radicalization training.

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education spokeswoman Sarah Potter told The Associated Press that $630,500 in school safety grants were awarded last fiscal year.

Funding could be restored if revenues improve or lawmakers vote to overturn Nixon’s actions.