HARRISBURG — Talks aimed at redrawing Pennsylvania’s legislative districts have been “far from productive,” so there would be no point in holding a voting meeting next week, according to a letter sent by the panel chairman to the House Republican leader on Thursday.

Legislative Reapportionment Commission chairman Stephen McEwen told Majority Leader Mike Turzai that he hoped discussions would progress to the point where a vote might be held the week of March 19.

McEwen’s letter — a response to Turzai’s written request for a vote on Wednesday — said a planned meeting had been canceled “because the state of negotiations was far from productive.”

“It can be said, however, that the House effort was quite intense,” wrote McEwen, a Republican who has served as an appellate judge and Delaware County district attorney.

He told Turzai that a March 14 vote was not “viable.”

“I would hope, however, that discussions will be more productive in the next few days and that a meeting can be scheduled for the week of March 19,” McEwen said.

The state Supreme Court in January threw out the commission’s first set of maps, saying it did not meet constitutional standards for minimizing municipal splits and having compact boundaries.

Republicans had hoped to have new maps in place for the April 24 primary election, but it appears those contests will be held based on the 2001 maps.

McEwen was appointed by the court to head the panel after the four legislative leaders could not agree on a chairman. The other members are House Minority Leader Frank Dermody, D-Allegheny, and Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, and Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware.

Earlier Thursday, Dermody’s spokesman said there had been recent progress but called the proposal for a vote next week premature.

“The work is unfinished and the commissioners still have not cracked the toughest nuts,” Dermody spokesman Bill Patton said.

Turzai’s letter, dated Wednesday, noted that the state Supreme Court asked the commission 33 days earlier to move quickly, and said he was ready to vote.