Say what you want about him, but Governor Rod Blagojevich definitely cares about expanding the Medicaid program.
Illinois [is] one of only two states, along with Maine, that is still actively expanding its Medicaid rolls. […]
Illinois enrollment stood at 1.38 million in 1997 and was exactly the same four years later. Enrollment has skyrocketed since, to 1.74 million last year. It will stand at an estimated 2 million once the expansions in eligibility for children and working parents enacted the past two years are fully in effect.
Republicans (and many Democrats) have argued that the governor’s Medicaid expansion will eventually bust the budget. But the guv argues it’s a priority and, if money is an indicator, has placed Medicaid higher on his list than education funding.