Madison - Many of those who take part-time government jobs in the future would not receive retirement benefits under a measure adopted Tuesday by the Legislature's budget committee.

The provision also would require newly hired full-time workers for state and local governments and schools to work longer before they could qualify for their full pensions.

The Republican-led Joint Finance Committee adopted the changes on a 12-4 party-line vote and incorporated them into the state budget it will deliver to the Legislature by early next month. In other budget work Tuesday, the committee voted to preserve a prescription drug program for seniors; cap a long-term care program; eliminate the public financing of political campaigns; and end a program that provides college grants.

The proposed pension changes come amid a protracted fight over the pay and benefits of public workers in Wisconsin that has drawn national attention. Republicans have long argued that public pensions are more generous than those enjoyed by most people, while Democrats and unions say those pension benefits have been negotiated in good faith over many years.

Rep. Robin Vos (R-Rochester), co-chairman of the committee, said the current system is ridiculous because summer lifeguards qualify for pensions.

"That is not the way the private sector operates," he said.

But Democrats called the changes draconian, saying they would hurt teacher's aides and bus drivers.

"It amounts to nothing more than an assault on some of the lowest paid public workers in the state of Wisconsin," said Sen. Bob Jauch (D-Poplar). "It's going to be hard to get people to work these jobs."

The changes to pensions for future employees are being proposed just months after Republicans voted to make current public workers pay more for their benefits and eliminate most of their ability to engage in union negotiations. That plan was passed in March but has not taken effect because of a court challenge.

The changes incorporated into the budget Tuesday would mean future part-time employees would have to work twice as many hours to qualify for pensions.

Now, most public workers qualify for pension benefits if they work at least 600 hours a year, or one-third of a full-time job. Teachers and other school workers qualify if they work at least 440 hours a year.

The committee voted to double the amount employees had to work to qualify for pensions - 1,200 hours a year for most employees and 880 hours a year for teachers, librarians, administrators and educational support personnel.

The proposal also would set a vesting schedule for public workers that would require them to work in five calendar years to get their full pensions. Now, employees qualify for all the money that is put toward their pensions as soon as they are hired.

In other action Tuesday:

Health care: The committee voted to preserve the SeniorCare drug program, while also capping the Family Care long-term care program for the next two years.

Gov. Scott Walker had wanted to require thousands of SeniorCare participants to also sign up for the more costly Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. But Walker's fellow Republicans on the committee rejected that cost-saving plan and voted to keep SeniorCare in its current form.

The committee also agreed to mostly freeze enrollment for two years in the Family Care program, which provides long-term care for the elderly and disabled. About 400 people in urgent need would be allowed into the program, a fraction of those who are currently on waiting lists.

The committee's plan would also grant Walker broad powers to make unspecified changes in health care programs like BadgerCare Plus for low-income people. Walker says he can save $466.6 million in state and federal money over two years, but any changes would have to be approved by federal authorities.

The plans on health care were approved on a party-line vote. Democrats said they supported protecting SeniorCare but opposed the other provisions.

Campaign funding: Also on party lines was a vote to end all public funding for state political races. The savings would go toward implementing a plan to require voters to show photo ID at the polls.

The move on public funding of campaigns marks a dramatic shift. The state has provided taxpayer money for campaigns since 1978 in an attempt to reduce the influence of special interests in elections.

Two years ago, Democrats who then controlled the Legislature expanded the program for state Supreme Court races, giving $100,000 to each participating candidate in primaries and $300,000 in general elections. This year's campaign for the high court was the first under the new program and cost taxpayers $900,000.

Earlier this month, the Legislature approved a bill that would require people to show photo ID to vote. Walker plans to sign it Wednesday, capping a decade-long effort by Republicans to put the measure in law.

The requirement would kick in next year. Before then, election officials will need to make changes to their computer systems, train poll workers and educate the public about the need to have photo ID to vote.

The committee put $1.8 million toward that effort, in part using money now in the account for publicly funding campaigns.

Democrats have opposed the photo ID requirement, saying it would make it harder for minorities and the elderly to vote. They said the funding recommended by the committee was insufficient.

Wisconsin Covenant: The committee on party lines recommended suspending the Wisconsin Covenant program this fall.

The program was started in 2007 by then-Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat. Starting that year, eighth-grade students who signed up for it were guaranteed a spot in a Wisconsin college or university if they took certain classes, maintained good grades and stayed out of trouble.

The first batch of those students will head to college this fall. They can each receive annual tuition grants from the state of $250 to $1,500.

Under the plan adopted by the committee, eighth-graders would no longer be able to sign up for the program starting this fall. Those who have signed up for it in the past would still be eligible for the grants.

Tuition: The committee adopted a plan that would require Wisconsin students who attend Minnesota schools in the years ahead to pay an additional $1,400 or more annually in tuition.

The changes would affect future students, but not current ones or those who enroll in Minnesota schools by this fall. Walker had wanted the changes to take effect for all students at those schools starting this fall.

The plan was adopted unanimously and would end state subsidies for future Wisconsin students at Minnesota universities, meaning those students will see large hikes in tuition.

Unlike the other votes Tuesday, the changes were not incorporated into the state budget and do not need the approval of both houses of the Legislature. The changes will need the approval of Minnesota officials, but Wisconsin lawmakers said they expected that to happen.

Current Wisconsin students at Minnesota schools, as well as Wisconsin students who will go to Minnesota schools for the first time this fall, would receive the subsidies for the next five academic years. But students who start in the fall of 2012 would not be eligible for them.

Since 1965, Wisconsin and Minnesota have had a tuition reciprocity agreement that allows a student from one state to pay resident tuition rates at public universities and technical schools in the other state.

In recent years, Wisconsin has also subsidized tuition for those students so they pay the same amount in Minnesota as they would if they attended an equivalent University of Wisconsin school.

For instance, Wisconsin contributes $1,396 toward the $9,794 tuition charged to Wisconsin students attending the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.