BOISE - The Idaho redistricting panel on Thursday began revising legislative maps to satisfy the Idaho Supreme Court, which had ruled the commission's previous plan unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, state Republican leaders, in the aftermath of a failed legal challenge to remove two commissioners, warned that anything the panel decides will be under "a cloud of uncertainty" legally.

The bipartisan, six-member board must submit new maps after the high court said an earlier proposal split too many counties, a decision that touched off a series of legal challenges, including the lawsuit from state Republican Party Chairman Norm Semanko and House Speaker Lawerence Denney.

Their effort to remove their redistricting appointees, Randy Hansen and Dolores Crow, was dismissed Wednesday by the state Supreme Court. A day later they said they were reviewing the matter closely.

"We are hopeful that the Court will have the opportunity to address the issue in the near future and are continuing to evaluate our legal options as we review the decision," said in a joint statement from Semanko and Denney.

"In the meantime, the Commission will reconvene (Thursday) with a cloud of uncertainty continuing to hang over it with regard to the ultimate legality of any new plan that it may adopt."

The panel's three Democrats and three Republicans began deliberating just after 9 a.m. on a revised plan.

They received instructions from the attorney general's office, suggesting they strictly adhere to the Supreme Court's ruling.

"It's clearer than anything we've ever had before," said Brian Kane, chief deputy attorney general.

Kane advised the panel to keep intact as many of Idaho's 44 counties as possible. The commission's rejected plan divided 11 counties. Kane recommended the panel split no more than seven.

The redistricting commission is due to meet at least through Saturday, but their deliberations could go into next week.

Secretary of State Ben Ysursa said he wants to have the maps of 35 new legislative districts approved well before the Feb. 27, the date candidates can begin filing for the May 15 primary election.