HARRISBURG — A bill that would require taxpayers to subsidize the education of a public school student from a low-income family who wants to attend a different school passed a first test.

The state Senate Education Committee voted 8-2 today to approve a “school voucher” bill that is a top priority of Republican lawmakers and Gov. Tom Corbett.

The vote came after two hours of sometimes testy debate among three of the panel’s four Democrats.

The panel’s Republican majority turned aside amendments proposed by Democrats. Those included measures to prohibit the state from diverting voucher money away from school districts and to allow students to opt out of religious instruction or ceremonies at a private religious school.