TRENTON — Thousands of students in failing New Jersey public schools are one step closer to being able to transfer to private schools of their choice after an Assembly committee advanced a controversial school voucher bill tonight.

The Assembly Commerce Committee voted, 5-0, to approve the Opportunity Scholarship Act over the objections of the state’s largest teachers union and some Democratic lawmakers. Opponents said it appears the bill has the votes to clear the full Assembly and Senate and could be on Gov. Chris Christie’s desk within weeks.

"I’m distraught that we have come to this point," said state Sen. Barbara Buono (D- Middlesex), who strongly opposes the bill. "We have a Democrat-controlled Legislature and still this bill is poised to pass."

The pilot program would offer scholarships for 40,000 low-income public school students in 13 targeted districts — including Newark, Jersey City and Lakewood — to attend private or parochial schools chosen by their families. Elementary students would get up to $8,000 a year and high school students would get up to $11,000 for tuition at private schools..

The program, which for the first time would provide widespread taxpayer funding for religious and private education, would not be directly funded by the state. Instead, businesses would contribute to the scholarship fund in exchange for tax credits. By its fifth year, the program could cost the state up to $800 million in lost tax revenue.

Assemblyman Albert Coutinho, the committee chairman, was one of the Democrats who voted in favor of the bill. He acknowledged the concerns of voucher opponents, but said there is a universal interest in repairing New Jersey’s troubled schools.

"This is a sign that we’re serious about education reform and considering all options. However, there remain serious concerns within the Democratic caucus," Coutinho (D-Essex) said.

Opponents argued the voucher program would pull money from efforts to repair broken public schools and only help a small fraction of students. But supporters said the scholarship act will give thousands of children trapped in failing public schools a way out.

"This bill doesn’t remove our moral obligation to fix the failing public schools in New Jersey, nor does it relieve the crime that’s happening every day when we fail our children," Newark Mayor Cory Booker told the committee. "It’s about time we give some small sliver of immediate hope for parents who are desperate in our city."

Signing a school voucher bill would be a major victory for Christie, who has touted vouchers as one of the cornerstones of his plan to shake up New Jersey’s public school system. Passage of the bill would also be a major blow to the New Jersey Education Association, which has adamantly opposed voucher programs for years.

If the bill passes, New Jersey would move to the forefront of the voucher movement, which has been debated in states and cities around the nation.

Last night’s vote followed an emotional day of testimony in a packed hearing room in the Statehouse. The size of the crowd, which included some opponents carrying signs reading "Say no to vouchers!" forced officials to open another room to accommodate the overflow crowd.

Earlier in the day, Senate and Assembly Democrats attended a press conference organized by a coalition of the bill’s opponents, who confirmed the bill is on course for passage in the full Senate and Assembly in the coming weeks.

Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson-Coleman (D-Mercer) said the bill undermines a much-needed effort to repair the broken public school system by offering opportunities to only a fraction of the children who need a high-quality education and are not receiving one now.

"This is about equal access irrespective of where you and live and irrespective of what your parents are making," Watson-Coleman said. "I’m so opposed to this bill it breaks my heart to know that more than likely this is going to pass."

Other opponents, including the NJEA and the Education Law Center, question the bill’s lack of accountability. They argue the program will be nothing more than a boon for parochial schools, which have closed in droves over the past decade because of declining enrollment.

Staff writer Kelly Heyboer contributed to this report.

Previous coverage:

• N.J. Senate panel advances bill that would offer vouchers for students in failing public schools

• N.J. Senate committee may consider school voucher bill creating 'opportunity scholarships'

• Fantasia gives free concert in Newark park to support school choice bill