Topeka (ap) — A second year of insurance signups under the federal health care overhaul begins this weekend with the Republican-dominated state government in Kansas still largely hostile to it and supportive state Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger nearing the end of her time in office.

Here are five things to know:

1. Losing a sympathetic voice in Praeger

Praeger has been highly unusual among Kansas Republicans because she’s expressed support for Democratic President Barack Obama’s signature policy initiative, saying it has expanded health insurance coverage, despite the rocky rollout last year.

The insurance commissioner built a reputation as an expert on health insurance after taking office in January 2003. She won three, four-year terms but acknowledged that she’d have a difficult time winning a GOP primary this year and decided against seeking re-election.

The commissioner-elect is Republican Ken Selzer, a Leawood accountant and insurance executive who’s been critical of the federal health care overhaul. He takes office Jan. 12.

2. First-year enrollments

The signup period runs through Feb. 15.

A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report in May said 57,000 Kansas residents had signed up for health insurance coverage during the 2013-14 enrollment period through the online marketplace.

That was about 4,000, or 7.5 percent more, than the 53,000 the federal agency had predicted in October 2013 and came after enrollments had trailed expectations for several months.

HHS has not released new state-level enrollment data since then. The agency initially said more than 8 million Americans obtained coverage through online marketplaces run by the federal government and some states, but it later said the number was lower, at 7.1 million.

Republicans critical of the federal health overhaul were in control of Kansas state government and kept the state from setting up its own marketplace or partnering with HHS.

3. Medicaid expansion stalled

The federal health care overhaul encouraged states to expand their Medicaid programs for the poor and disabled by promising to pick up almost all of the cost.

But Republican leaders in Kansas have been skeptical that the federal government will keep its funding promises and in 2013 added a two-year ban on a Medicaid expansion to budget legislation. This year, they passed legislation extending the ban indefinitely, and GOP Gov. Sam Brownback signed the measure.

As he ran successfully for re-election this year, Brownback attacked Democratic challenger Paul Davis for supporting expansion.

Selzer, the incoming insurance commissioner, opposed expansion, defeating Democrat Dennis Anderson, an Overland Park businessman, who supported it.

Praeger, the retiring commissioner, also supports an expansion of Medicaid.

4. Health care compact

Praeger and Selzer also disagreed over a law that took effect in July, backed by Brownback, to bring Kansas into a compact with other states that hope to exempt themselves from the federal health care law’s requirements.

The compact would let participating states remove themselves from federal health regulations if Congress consents. Nine other states have enacted similar statutes.

Praeger is a strong critic of the compact proposal, saying it could in Kansas jeopardize the Medicare program providing health coverage for seniors — something supporters deny.

Selzer said during a candidate forum last month that the compact has safeguards, and it could bring health care decision-making “closer to home, where it belongs.”

5. Kansan once in charge

The troubled rollout of the federal government’s online health insurance marketplace clouded the reputation of a former two-term Kansas governor.

Kathleen Sebelius was elected governor as a Democrat in 2002 and re-elected in 2006, gaining some national attention for winning her two terms in a GOP-leaning state. Democrats mentioned her as a potential vice presidential running mate for Obama in 2008, and he appointed her HHS secretary. She resigned as governor in April 2009.

Sebelius helped shepherd the health care overhaul through Congress in Obama’s first term but was heavily criticized when the rollout ran into serious technical problems last year. Sebelius stepped down as HHS secretary in June.