The state Senate passed a redistricting bill at 12:30 a.m. today to carve up Mercer County between two congressional districts for the next 10 years.

The bill unveiled by Senate Republican leaders would end an arrangement of the modern political era where all of Mercer County has been in a single congressional district based in the state's northwest corner.

The plan was passed on a 27-22 party line vote and sent to the House, where it faces an uncertain fate.

State Sen. Robert D. "Bob" Robbins, R-Salem Township, 50th District, voted for the bill. He said Mercer County could benefit from having another congressman going to bat for local projects.

The Senate plan creates a claw-shaped district in the northwest and gives it a new number, the 11th instead of the 21st. Most of Mercer County would stay in this district, which is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Phil English, R-Erie. This would include Greenville, Mercer, Sharon and Grove City.

But a portion of the Shenango Valley would move to the 4th district represented by U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart, R-Allegheny. This would include Farrell, West Middlesex, Wheatland, Shenango Township and one small tip of Hermitage -- Division Three of the Southwest District.

State Rep. Michael Gruitza, D-Hermitage, Shenango Valley District, said he is likely to vote against the bill when it comes up for a House vote.

"To divide Hermitage is an awkward thing," added Gruitza.

The Senate bill is similar to one advocated by U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa. It has the practical impact of making English's district more Republican and putting Democratic precincts of the Shenango Valley into Hart's district. Hart recently sponsored legislation to make Route 60 an interstate highway.

English's district would expand in size to pick up parts of Butler, Warren, Venango, Armstrong and Clarion Counties under the bill. Hart's district would also includes Lawrence, Beaver, southern Butler and northern Allegheny Counties.

But the bill faces a test in the GOP-controlled House. House Majority Leader John Perzel, R-Philadelphia, has some misgivings about the plan.

"Mr. Perzel has not signed off on the final version," said spokesman Stephen Drachler. He said it's uncertain whether the Senate bill can muster the Republican votes to win passage in the House.

But some observers say the House vote may fall on bipartisan lines with Democratic lawmakers in urban areas ready to cast yes votes.

Under redistricting, the number of Pennsylvania seats will drop from 21 to 19 because the state's population grew more slowly than many other states during the 1990s.

The Senate plan eliminates the jobs of four Democratic congressmen in Pennsylvania and creates new, predominantly Republican enclaves in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh suburbs.

Democrats were far from happy with the results.

"Nowhere beyond our wildest imagination did we believe that this kind of massacre would take place tonight on the people of Pennsylvania," said Sen. Robert J. Mellow, the Senate Democratic leader.

In western Pennsylvania, the plan merges districts represented by Democrats John Murtha and Frank Mascara.