Topeka ? In preparing for the Aug. 6 primary elections, Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh is assuming the four new U.S. House districts drawn by legislators are valid, despite the potential for a legal challenge.

But Thornburgh isn’t ignoring the possibility of a federal lawsuit over congressional redistricting and even is researching a “worst-case” scenario in which his office would have to submit a redistricting plan in U.S. District Court. Thornburgh is the state’s chief elections officer.

Legislators approved a congressional redistricting bill last week, and Gov. Bill Graves has until June 2 to sign it, let it become law without his signature or veto it. He has said he has misgivings about the bill but may sign it because he wants the election process to move forward.

The bill would move Junction City into the 1st Congressional District from the 2nd, splitting it from neighboring Fort Riley and Manhattan. It also would split Lawrence between the 2nd and 3rd Districts.

The strongest criticism has come from officials in Junction City and Manhattan, and Senate Majority Leader Lana Oleen, R-Manhattan, said they were weighing a legal challenge if Graves signed the bill.

“There have been some discussions,” Oleen said Thursday.

Thornburgh said legislators could try to draft a new plan on May 31, the day of a brief ceremony marking the end of their work for the year. Thornburgh said he also could file a petition in federal court, asking the court to rule on congressional districts and present a plan of his own.

“I think me going to the court with a map is an absolute, worst-case, the-sky-is-falling scenario,” the secretary of state said.

Thornburgh said he would be inclined in such a case to present the Legislature’s map to the court, rather than try to come up with one himself.

He said he believed if Graves signed the bill, the redistricting plan would be approved by the courts with no major modifications. In 1992, a panel of three district judges made only minor changes in the plan approved by legislators.

“I am planning on this map being implemented,” Thornburgh said.

Legislators had to redraw congressional, legislative and State Board of Education districts to account for shifts in population over the past decades. New districts for the Kansas House, Kansas Senate, and Board of Education already are in place.

The candidate filing deadline is noon June 10 for candidates for statewide office but noon June 24 for legislative, congressional and education board candidates.

Thornburgh said that if the congressional map were challenged, he would hope for a quick review in federal court. A judge or panel of judges would have to postpone the filing deadline for congressional candidates, he said, and that could result in a later primary.