HERSHEY -- Gov. Tom Corbett and state GOP leaders had harsh words today about the state Supreme Court rejection of the new legislative map and the delay in the release of the court's opinion spelling out its problems with the redrawn lines.

The state Supreme Court threw this year's legislative elections into confusion this week when it rejected the newly redrawn districts that were approved in December by the five-member, GOP-controlled Legislative Reapportionment Commission.

The high court sent the new maps back to the commission for further work, but that can't start yet because the court hasn't yet specified what it doesn't like about the proposed 2012 districts. House and Senate Democrats are claiming the districts drawn in 2001-02 will be used for this year's elections.

"We're waiting to see an opinion from the court," Mr. Corbett said. The voters "don't know who's going to represent them. If you're going to do that, fine, get an opinion. What's taking so long?"

As for the Democratic theory that this year's elections should go forward under the 2001-drafted boundaries, he said that's out of the question.

"It's stupid," he said. "It's probably unconstitutional."

"People have moved tremendously in the last 10 years. Ask [House Speaker] Sam Smith - he'll tell you the numbers that have moved in certain areas. I think that's an unconstitutional thought process."

Republican leaders agreed that using the existing maps of House and Senate districts in the 2012 elections would be unconstitutional because they violate the federal "one person, one vote'' rule.

Mr. Smith said that because of state population changes over the last decade, state House districts now vary in size from a low of 50,000 people to a high of 85,000. When the existing 203 House districts were drawn in 2001-02, the average population of all districts was about 60,000 people. Sen. Jake Corman said Senate districts, while larger than House districts, show a similar disparity in population.

They said that if the high court tells the redistricting panel next week what is wrong with the maps, changes could be made and the newly redrawn districts used in 2012.

Mr. Smith said it's very unlikely, but not out of the question, that the state's primary election set for April 24 could be delayed, in order to give more time for tinkering with the House and Senate district lines.

Mr. Corman said that if the high court doesn't release its objections to the new map soon, the state could file an appeal with federal court to get the ruling released.