In an action that could usher in one of the most sweeping state education policy changes in recent history, the Utah House on Friday approved a private-school tuition voucher program — by a single vote.

"It's not an easy vote for any of us, but the process was exemplified today," House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, said after the 38-37 vote on HB148. "It's an extremely emotional and difficult issue ..., (and) the debate was of the highest caliber that I've seen in my 13 years here. I find it fascinating that not a single person spread the myth that it would be harmful to public education."

Though the House vote couldn't have been narrower, the bill extending vouchers worth up to $3,000 per student, based on income, might see more open waters the rest of the legislative session, which adjourns Feb. 28.

The House has been the key holdout every year on such measures since 2000, while the more conservative Senate in 2003 approved the concept, even when tied to a $90 million tax increase. That backing is said to remain.

"In the (GOP) Senate caucus, we had at least 19 senators indicate strong support for a voucher bill," said Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble, R-Provo, who plans to co-sponsor the bill. "Those numbers may change ..., but I think there's pretty strong support in the Senate."

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., who has said he supports the concept of private school vouchers, said Friday regarding signing HB148 into law that "I'm inclined to lean in that direction."

Groundbreaking bill

The Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation in a national press release Friday said HB148, sponsored by Rep. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George, "could become the nation's first-ever universal school voucher program" and become the first program to achieve the late Nobel laureate economist's vision for universal school choice.

That's what bugs the Utah Education Association.

"They just passed the largest subsidy in the nation," President Kim Campbell said. "This was never about private vs. public schools. This was about who pays for private schools."

Dubbed the Parent Choice in Education Act, HB148 would give families a private school tuition voucher that would range from $500 to $3,000 per student, scaled to income based on who qualifies for federal reduced-price school lunch. The larger would go to families of four, for example, earning less than about $37,000 a year; the smaller, to a family of the same size earning more than $92,500.

Public school officials have bristled over diverting money from Utah public schools, which receive the least per-student spending in the country, to private schools.