Governor Jim Doyle's Wisconsin Covenant has survived the budget committee. There was plenty of back and forth over the plan, which Democrats like Sen. Lena Taylor love. "It goes with the legacy of Wiconsin, " said Taylor. "The commitement to education, and it encourages it in the next generation." Republican Rep. Robin Vos claimed there's a lot less there than meets the eye. "We are reiterating what we already do, because it was a fantastic political ad," said Vos. Madison Democrat, Rep. Mark Pocan, called the Wisconsin Covenant "the jewel of the budget," while Republican Sen. Luther Olson remained unimpressed. "I look at this thing, and I'm thinking what a farce," said Olson. A motion to eliminate the covenant failed on a party line vote. It offers eighth graders a guaranteed spot at a UW campus, tech school or private college, along with financial aid, if they maintain good grades and stay out of trouble.
