TALLAHASSEE - After more than 12 hours of debate, questions about breaking the law, a bingo-style drawing complete with ping-pong balls and serious questions about their gravitational integrity, the Florida Senate is one step closer to redrawing its political districts.

A Senate committee passed its version of the chamber’s maps on a 21-6 vote Wednesday. It now heads to the full Senate for the second time, because the Supreme Court rejected the first version.

After a marathon hearing Tuesday, Senate map-drawers were largely in agreement on the shape of the proposed seats. The tricky part came Wednesday: How to number those districts and how long the terms would be.

The Florida Constitution requires staggered four-year terms for senators. Because of redistricting, every lawmaker faces re-election in November. To ensure the terms remain staggered, some senators will be given two-year terms until 2014, and that’s where the ping-pong balls came in.

After heated debate, Majority Leader Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, and Minority Leader Nan Rich, D-Sunrise, crafted a plan that would have term lengths randomly assigned. Senate Secretary Debbie Brown would pick numbered and colored ping-pong balls out of cages rolled by two assistants.

White balls were for four-year terms, green balls for two-year terms.

Some senators immediately trotted out objections.