SPRINGFIELD - Gov. Rod Blagojevich's plan to provide health insurance to all children in Illinois zoomed out of the state Senate on Wednesday and is poised for passage in the Illinois House today.

After winning approval in the Senate on a 32-23 partisan roll call vote, the governor declared it a high point of his administration.

"If we pass this tomorrow, this will be the best week we've ever had since I've been governor," Blagojevich said.

The program takes aim at the estimated 253,000 uninsured children up to the age of 19 whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicare or the KidCare program. Deductibles and premiums would be based on income.

Blagojevich believes about 50,000 will sign up in the program's first year at a cost of $45 million. It will be funded by moving most of the state's 1.7 million Medicaid enrollees into a managed care-style of health insurance, which officials say will save $56 million.

"Uninsured children are not getting the health care they need," said Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, who rallied his members to support the plan unanimously.

Republicans, however, except state Sen. Cheryl Axley, R-Elk Grove, who was the lone "yes" vote among Republicans, roundly criticized the proposal.

"This is truly a potential budget buster," said Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson, R-Greenville.

Republicans said the lack of details in the legislation - the bill gives the governor's office power to write many of the rules - is troubling.

"There is very little substance in this bill," said state Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon.

Republicans also complained the state has not been able to pay its own bills on time and just last week was forced to take out a $1 billion loan to clear up a backlog of payments to health care providers.

Said Blagojevich: "It would have been nice if more of them supported it."

If approved in the House today, the program will go into effect in July 2006. The program won't be open to everyone immediately. Only children who have been without health insurance for six months or have just recently exceeded income guidelines for the KidCare program will be allowed into the program.

The legislation is House Bill 806.

Kurt Erickson can be reached at kurt.Erickson@;lee.net or 782-1249.