During her 18 years as a state lawmaker, Brenda Landwehr sought to shrink the size of government and frequently criticized the state's social services agency.

Now she is part of it.

Gov. Sam Brownback's administration hired the former conservative lawmaker -- who lost to Rep. Nile Dillmore, a Democrat, in November -- as a part-time senior policy analyst in the Wichita regional office of the Department of Children and Families, formerly known as SRS.

Landwehr was hired Jan. 13, the day before the new legislative session started. She makes $26.45 an hour, which will figure out to about $27,000 a year, according to department spokeswoman Angela de Rocha.

The department has also hired Kenya Cox, a Wichita Republican who ran against Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, a Democrat.

Cox is the new assistant regional director for community relations in Wichita, earning $50,000 a year.

The Wichita Eagle