AUGUSTA (AP) – A former House Republican leader was virtually assured of membership on the newly expanded board that oversees the state’s 5-year-old Dirigo health insurance program on Tuesday as he won a solid committee endorsement for Senate confirmation.

The Senate meets Wednesday to take up the nomination of Joseph Bruno, who headed the state Republican Party for part of last year, and two others to the Dirigo board.

Gov. John Baldacci’s nominees for other posts, including the newly created Board of Corrections, are also up for confirmation votes Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the Insurance and Financial Services Committee took up nominations for the board that oversees the program designed to provide affordable health insurance to tens of thousands of uninsured Mainers.

A pet program of Democrat Baldacci, Dirigo has undergone harsh criticism by Republicans and others who say it has failed to meet its enrollment expectations and dislike its current funding mechanism, based on calculations of health-expenditure savings that result from the Dirigo’s health subsidies.

Asked by a committee member if he supports Dirigo as it is set up under current law, Bruno said, “I believe in the goal of Dirigo. I believe in the goal of having an insurance product that is affordable for everyone.” Bruno, of Raymond, said he also supports a central goal of Dirigo that emphasizes high quality health care.

“Do I believe the funding mechanism is the best mechanism out there? No, I think over the last five years we have learned it’s a very difficult mechanism to fund this program. Do I come in with preconceived notions? No, I think I’m pretty open-minded. And I can be persuaded and convinced if the facts are in front of me,” said Bruno.

A pharmacist by training, Bruno is a vice president of the Waldron Group of Falmouth, a holding company involved in a number of businesses.

Dirigo’s funding needs prompted lawmakers earlier this year to raise taxes on beer, soda and wine and impose a tax on health insurance claims. Opponents of the new taxes succeeded in forcing a referendum in November on whether to leave the taxes on the books.

Lawmakers have also increased the Dirigo board from five to nine members, hoping to enhance expertise in the complex area of health financing. The other Dirigo board nominees endorsed Tuesday include Sara Gagne-Holmes, who heads Maine Equal Justice Partners, and Marianne Ringel, who has held health policy posts in state government.

The nomination of former GOP lawmaker Judy Foss of Yarmouth was withdrawn because of scheduling problems, but the governor’s office said it could be reposted.

Also up for committee review were the nominees for the newly created Board of Corrections, which will coordinate purchasing, transportation and space management between Maine’s county jails and the state’s prison system in an effort to save millions of dollars. The Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee had endorsed most of the nominations by late Tuesday afternoon and was expected to support them all.

The seven corrections board nominees include attorney Tom Brown of Bangor, Maine Women’s Lobby board chair Kimm Collins of Falmouth, state parole board member Neale Duffett of Portland, Downeast Correctional Facility Board of Visitors member Tim King of Ellsworth, health care specialist Irving Faunce of Wilton, attorney George Jabar of Waterville and Waldo County Sheriff Scott Story of Monroe.

The Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry endorsed three appointments to the Pesticides Control Board, including Thomas Qualey of Sherman, Daniel Simonds of Rangeley and Charles Ravis of Winthrop, but rejected one.

Only three panel members voted for Deborah Aldridge of Jonesboro, while seven opposed her appointment. Aldridge’s restrictive view on pesticide application was seen as being at odds with the board and her appointment was opposed by agriculture groups, said Sen. John Nutting, D-Leeds, co-chairman of the committee.

The most prominent nominations up for Senate votes are Ryan Low as commissioner of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, and Jack Cashman to the Public Utilities Commission. Both are expected to win confirmation.

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