Measure Providing Insurance Fairness for Children with Autism Goes to Governor

OKLAHOMA CITY – A bipartisan effort has put a bill on Governor Henry’s desk to make certain health insurance companies cover the same illnesses for children with autism as they do children without such a diagnosis.

That assurance is contained in Senate Bill 2045. When the bill was before the Senate, Senator Jay Paul Gumm proposed the language as an amendment, which senators overwhelmingly approved. The amended bill passed both the Senate and House of Representatives and is now on its way to the governor.

“During my work with families who have children with autism, this was one of their highest priorities,” said Gumm, a Democrat from Durant. “We have families who have children with autism who pay their premiums and expect to be treated fairly. This amended bill will ensure that very thing.”

The senator said dozens of families told him some insurance companies routinely deny claims filed on behalf of children with autism for illnesses and maladies unrelated to the diagnosis of autism. Such claims were denied because Oklahoma does not require health insurance policies to cover diagnosis and treatment of autism and most insurers specifically exclude autism.

“For me,” Gumm said, “this issue speaks to the fundamental moral question of ‘fairness.’ Regardless of anyone’s stand on whether insurers should be required to cover diagnosis and treatment of autism, one fundamental fact remains: If a child with autism breaks an arm on the playground or gets sick, they should be covered the same as any other child.”

Gumm, a Democrat from Durant, said his measure began as a stand-alone bill. After discussing the issue with Sen. Bill Brown, R-Broken Arrow, and chair of the Senate Committee on Retirement and Insurance, a bipartisan agreement was struck to include the language in one of Brown’s bills.

“I want to express my deep appreciation to both Senator Brown and Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee,” Gumm said. “Their support has made it possible to get this legislation through both chambers and to the governor. Families across Oklahoma will benefit because we worked together.

“It shows that we can set aside partisan differences and find that common ground on which we can build a better Oklahoma for all our citizens, and this was a critical step toward fairness for our children and families who are struggling with autism.”

Oklahoma State Senate

April 28, 2009

For Immediate Release
Contact: Amber England, Democratic Communications Director
Oklahoma State Senate

Insurance Companies Win Big in Senate GOP’s “First 50 Days”
All the Chest Pounding and “Atta Boys” Can’t Hide GOP Love for Powerful Insurance Industry.

OKLAHOMA CITY—Calling the latest press conference by Senate Republicans nothing but chest pounding and political cover, Democratic Leader Charlie Laster said Oklahomans should be outraged with the outcome of the GOP’s first 50 days.

“The first 50 days of the Senate Republican’s majority has been consumed with stories about tax scandals and a whole lot of love being shown to the powerful insurance industry,” Laster said. “For the past month even newspapers across the state have editorialized about the politics of payback and retaliation that we have seen from the Senate GOP and have mentioned very little, if anything at all, about policies that will help make health care more affordable for Oklahoma families.”

Laster, (D-Shawnee) pointed to the following specific legislation and unprecedented rule changes in the Senate as proof Senate Republicans have been focused solely on protecting insurance companies and engaging in the politics of retaliation instead of focusing on the needs of Oklahoma families.

• A rule change that specifically protects insurance companies in the Senate by requiring Senators to jump through bureaucratic red tape to have a bill heard that would reform the insurance industry.
• Removing Senator Tom Ivester, an Afghan War Veteran, from a task force that studies the education needs of Oklahoma military families days after Coffee called Ivester an “alarmist” for speaking out about possible public prison closings in his district.
• Removing veteran Senators Kenneth Corn, Richard Lerblance and Tom Adelson off committees which they previously chaired, calling them “obstructionists.”
• Refusing to hear legislation that would require insurance companies to cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism, routine medical care for Oklahomans who choose to participate in life-saving clinical trials, the right for injured workers to choose their own doctor and putting doctors, not insurance company executives in charge of patient’s health care needs, giving the Insurance Commissioner the ability to investigate arbitrary rate hikes by insurance companies, and legislation that would have allowed Oklahomans to sue insurance companies for arbitrarily raising insurance rates.
• Failure to meet the “Fund Education First” April 1 deadline, leaving thousands of Oklahoma teachers to wonder if they will have a job next school year.
• Legislation that protects insurance companies and giant corporations by making Oklahomans travel out-of-state to seek justice for negligent acts that caused harm to them.
• Passing legislation that would bring divisive Washington DC style politics into Oklahoma by requiring Worker’s Compensation Judges to be confirmed by the State Senate.

Laster said he is also concerned that with only three weeks left in this legislative session and no budget agreement, a special session could be right around the corner.

“Clearly Senator Coffee has been distracted which has left much of the crucial work of the State Senate still on the table,” Laster said. “It is clear Senate Republicans have very little to crow about this session and are simply pounding their chest to make themselves feel better. I hope for the sake of all Oklahomans, they get serious about governing and find some real solutions for Oklahoma families who desperately need our help, and stop this game of protecting insurance companies and petty partisan retaliation which seems to be the crux of the Senate GOP legislative agenda.”

Oklahoma political parties spar over insurance measures

BY JULIE BISBEE
Published: February 27, 2009

to comment on the article, click here.

The Republican-led Senate is protecting insurance companies and ignoring important issues for Oklahoma families, Senate Democrats said Thursday.
Advertisement

Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, called Democrats’ comments "over the top.”

Four weeks into the legislative session, Democrats said the Republican leadership refused to hear bills that would affect the health insurance industry and help families. Republicans hold a 26-22 majority in the Senate.

Earlier this year, the Senate passed a rule that required a financial impact statement with all bills that would increase required coverage insurance companies must provide.

Democrats said many bills meant to help families were not heard in committee and won’t be debated on the Senate floor. One of those bills is "Nick’s Law,” which would require insurance companies to cover treatment for autism.

"For whatever reason, they can’t live up to their pro-family rhetoric. Talk’s cheap in this business,” said Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, who authored Nick’s Law. "There are families out there who are being torn asunder by the challenges brought on them because they have a child with autism.”

Earlier in the session, a House committee heard the bill and voted it down. Under House rules, the measure can’t be taken up again for two years.

Another bill that didn’t get heard was Sen. Andrew Rice’s bill that would require insurance companies to cover people who choose experimental treatments. The Oklahoma City Democrat said the bill wasn’t heard in committee, but has been attached to a bill that will be heard by the full Senate.

"Why is it they’re afraid to allow their members vote on legislation that polling shows is very popular?” Rice said. "Why not let it come up to the light of day and let everybody have an up or down vote?”

Insurance companies are not without fault, but the Democrats are just doing the bidding of trial lawyers, Coffee said.

"We’ve all had experiences with insurance companies where we know they’ve abused their authority and power, and I think they ought to be held accountable for that,” Coffee said. "At the same time, I wish the Democrats would be honest about the fact that they’ve become shills for the trial lawyer community.”

Oklahoma Democrats say GOP protecting insurance companies.

By Ron Jenkins/Associated Press Writer
Published: February 26, 2009

Oklahoma Senate Democrats are charging that Republicans are taking the side of insurance companies over the needs of their constituents.

Democratic leaders held a news conference Thursday to decry decisions by GOP leaders not to hear their insurance-related bills, including a measure to require insurance companies to cover autism in their health care policies.

Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, said Republicans are forsaking their pro-family ideals by killing insurance bills that help families dealing with critical health care needs.

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee called the Democratic comments "over the top" and not helpful to their cause.

Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, said he is still hopeful a compromise can be worked out that will improve the plight of families with autistic children.

He criticized Gumm for saying Republicans had "put a gun to children's heads" by not passing Gumm's autism mandate bill. Such comments, Coffee said, are counterproductive.

Gumm said earlier he was "absolutely aghast" that autism coverage had become a partisan issue in Oklahoma, when it had been passed in other states such as Louisiana with backing from Republicans.

Democrats said Republicans have shown a pattern in recent years of summarily rejecting legislation opposed by the insurance industry.

In defeating such bills, GOP lawmakers have generally said mandates sought by Democrats would drive up the cost of insurance too much.

"It's not our obligation in the Senate to make sure the insurance companies make money," said Sen. Jim Wilson, D-Tahlequah.

Coffee said it was not like Republicans are not saying the insurance companies do not have faults and "all wear white hats."

He said Democrats are not giving enough credit to a bill sponsored by Rep. Chris Steele, R-Shawnee, to increase the number of providers of autism services in the state.

He said Steele's bill will be the vehicle for any compromise that can be worked out on autism.

Democrats want ED impact statement

Eds: UPDATES with details, quotes, no pickup.

By RON JENKINS

Associated Press Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma Senate Democrats said they are amazed that some insurance companies pay for treating erectile dysfunction, while denying coverage for autism.

All 22 Democrats in the 48-member Senate signed a letter on Wednesday asking for a cost savings analysis in the event lawmakers barred insurance companies from covering ED if they refuse to cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders.

The letter was sent to Bill W. Crain, administrator of the Oklahoma State and Education Employees Group Insurance Board.

"It is our understanding that insurance companies will pay for you to buy Viagra but they won't cover treatment for autism," said Sen. Charles Laster of Shawnee, Democratic minority leader.

"We just think it is bad policy that insurance companies get away with covering such nonessential things as treatment for ED and yet they are being protected for having to provide treatment for autism," he added.

He said he was sure many would argue that ED treatment is not nonessential "but from a public policy standpoint, I think it is pretty minor when compared with the thousands of kids out there with autism."

"It's just a discussion of priorities. Is health coverage for ED more important than coverage for autism?" added Sen. Tom Adelson, D-Tulsa, former state secretary of health.

Bills to require autism coverage have died in House and Senate committees this session after opposition from Republicans who say such mandates will cause insurance rates to increase significantly.

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, had no comment on the Democrats' latest tactic to keep the issue alive.

Members of the Democratic caucus plan a press conference Thursday during which they said they would "express frustration over Senate Republicans' disturbing pattern of protecting insurance companies on the backs of Oklahoma's working and middle class."

Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, is the main sponsor of the autism coverage bill that died in committee.

Gumm said he has an amendment planned for a tax bill that would prohibit insurance companies from qualifying for premium tax credits or job creation incentives if they do not cover autism.

He said he has prepared another amendment to require the Oklahoma High Risk Insurance Pool to cover autism.

He said neither proposal would be a mandate on private insurance companies.

Gov. Henry Opens Legislative Session

Posted: Feb 2, 2009

Gov. Henry Opens Legislative Session
Enlarge
Governor Brad Henry opened the 2009 legislative session Monday with his State of the State address.

Henry Calls for Thrift and Sacrifice
By Alex Cameron, NEWS 9
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Governor Brad Henry opened the legislative session Monday by calling on lawmakers to make difficult choices in these difficult times.

Specifically, the Governor said they need to work together to overcome an estimated $600 million revenue shortfall without giving ground in education, transportation and public safety.

The State of the State is the Governor's annual opportunity to publicly lay out his agenda, his priorities for the session and, with money so tight this year, it's really no surprise that his agenda is fairly lean, and that his top priority is just coming up with a budget.

Read the Full Text of the Governor's Speech.
"State agencies must tighten their budgets, some projects must be put on hold," Henry said.

The Governor didn't specify in his speech which projects he thinks should be put on hold, but he made it clear which ones he thinks should not. He called for continued support of the Oklahoma Bioenergy Center, further support for research by creating a permanent funding source for the EDGE endowment, expansion of Insure Oklahoma, to get health insurance for more workers. He asked for support of a bill to provide community mentors to at-risk high school students, a bill to expand early in-person voting and a bill to require insurance companies cover treatment for autistic children, the so-called Nick's Law.

"Too many of our families face the daunting task of raising autistic children with little or no help," Henry said. "That must change."
The line brought Democrats to their feet. Republicans said such a mandate will only increase insurance premiums and increase the state's number of uninsured.

"The growing number of autistic children is a concern to all of us, but the growing number including some estimates as high as $600,000 uninsured in our state is also a great concern to many of us," Sen. Glen Coffee (R) Senate President Pro Tem said.

Overall, Coffee commended the Governor on a speech that he said was upbeat and forward-thinking. He said they have a lot of common ground, although he said he's disappointed the Governor made no mention of the need for tort reform this session.

Governor Henry concluded his speech by calling on lawmakers to set aside partisan squabbles this session, work together and set Oklahoma on the right course for the future.

Majority has chance to make a statement Open Quote: Glenn Coffee

The Oklahoman, January 26, 2009

Sen. Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, was recently chosen as the first Republican President Pro Tem of the state Senate. He visited with The Oklahoman’s editorial board to discuss issues important to the Senate, which for the first time has a majority of GOP members.

Adding more (health care) mandates is just putting more strain on the system to cause it to fail. Among states, we’ve got this higher rate of uninsured and I think it’s exactly the wrong direction to go until we can get an affordable plan that we can encourage participation in. There are some things that can be done. My belief is there will be an autism bill that addresses what issues there are that the research says are important. ... There are a lot of states that have done this in a more reasonable fashion, and hopefully we’ll get there.

To read the entire article, click here

Another Chapter in the Struggle - Senator Jay Paul Gumm

Saturday, January 10, 2009
Another Chapter in the Struggle - Senator Jay Paul Gumm

Hello again, everyone! The Senate met this week for our one-day organizational meeting.

I began with much hope about relations between the political parties. My hope was grounded in my belief in the integrity of the Senate’s new Republican majority.

President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee and I have known each other many years – predating our elections to the Senate. While we disagree on a number of issues, we have never been disagreeable.

I have always considered Senator Coffee one of Oklahoma’s most gifted leaders. You don’t have to agree with someone to acknowledge their talent and integrity; so it has always been between Senator Coffee and me.

Much of my initial hope about the session was left in tatters on the floor of the Senate. Behavior of the new majority during organizational day should trouble every Oklahoman.

One of most important duties we have that day is the adoption of Senate Rules. Rule changes – inelegantly written and poorly drafted – have shaken the ability of senators to stand for the values of their constituents. The principal rule change was directed toward my struggle to end insurance discrimination against children with autism.

The rule change is a ham-handed attempt to protect Republican senators from having to vote on “Nick’s Law.” That bill has strong popular support, but is opposed by big insurance companies which financially support many of their political campaigns.

Under the new rule, senators cannot consider any bill that would change insurance coverage until the board which governs state employees’ insurance provides a financial impact statement. On its face, this sounds like a good rule: get all the information possible before making a decision.

Getting this information helps senators in making an informed decision. The problem is, nothing in state law requires the insurance board to provide this information, and the board is certainly not subject to Senate Rules.

The board is free to “slow play” data until legislative deadlines pass or the session ends. The cowardly rule gives unelected bureaucrats the ability a kill a bill without a vote, protecting weak senators from making a tough decision.

It is a bad start to a session begun with high hopes. Senator Coffee, in his speech after he was elected President Pro Tempore, talked about ideas that are seeds, proposals that “take on a life of their own.”

Few proposals have taken on a life of its own more than “Nick’s Law.” Based on countless emails and phone calls I have received, Oklahomans support it, and no pitiful attempt to shield members from voting will stop it. As for me, the disdain displayed on the Senate floor has only strengthened my resolve to end insurance discrimination against children with autism.

This is not the end of the battle. It is merely another chapter in a struggle that will not end until “Nick’s Law” becomes Oklahoma’s law.

Thanks again for reading this week’s “Senate Minute.” Have a great week, and may God bless you all.
Posted by Senator Jay Paul Gumm at 8:18 AM

Cold Coffee

By Bailey Dabney, Publisher
CLAREMORE DAILY PROGRESS

January 8, 2009 —

New Republican President Pro Tem of the Oklahoma State Senate, Glenn Coffee has changed the rules of the Senate to protect insurance companies so that before voting on any law mandating insurance coverage changes for state employees including teachers, the chairman of the appropriate committee must first request and receive an impact study from the state insurance board that provides coverage for employees and teachers. There is no requirement for a timely or accurate compliance.

What's so bad about that? The reality is that it can be a way to kill legislation without a vote. This rule change effectively gives veto power to unelected bureaucrats thereby allowing elected officials to escape the accountability of their voting record on matters in which their constituents might show interest. For example, if the committee chairman either refuses to make the request or drags his feet making the request, a response might not occur until after the legislative session is out or even at all. The agency could be encouraged to slow down any findings and playing politics takes on another layer.

Sen. Coffee and the Republicans didn't stop there. In 1981, Rogers County native and then Oklahoma City resident, Marvin York, as President Pro Tem of the Senate created a more bipartisan atmosphere in the Senate by allowing the minority leader, then the Republicans, to appoint their own members to committees rather than by the President Pro Tem, who would be of the majority party.

The rationale was that the minority party ought to have some insight into the qualifications of its members to serve.

Sen. Coffee has thrown that bipartisan cooperation out the door in a bold power grab where he took control by changing the rules so that he makes all of the appointments for both parties.

Local Sen. Sean Burrage attempted to amend Coffee's new rules and return them to the bipartisan oriented rules of Marvin York. It failed on a party line vote.

This is a harsh start for the Republicans who hold control of the Senate for the first time in the history of the state. Protecting special interest groups like insurance companies by creating
loopholes that keep our elected officials from voting on proposed legislation and seizing power in order to gain more partisan control is nasty self-serving politics.

Let's hope Coffee rethinks some of what he's doing, otherwise it's going to be a rocky ride for our state, and a brief turn at the helm for the conservatives.

This is not a state where the Democrats and the Republicans are miles apart philosophically.

Voters don't appreciate partisanship nearly as much as they appreciate cooperation on achieving common goals.

Leadership is a skill honed with practice and guidance. Sen. Coffee needs to reach across the aisle and work with his duly elected peers, allowing the voting process to do what it was intended to do: produce the best possible outcome for the good of his constituents.

Senate Republicans Prove Allegiance to Powerful Insurance Industry "Coffee Can't" Check Partisanship at the Door

January 6, 2009

For Immediate Release

Contact: Amber England

Office: (405)-521-5695

Email: england@oksenate.gov

Senate Republicans Prove Allegiance to Powerful Insurance Industry

"Coffee Can't" Check Partisanship at the Door

OKLAHOMA CITY --In ten separate votes pertaining to the newly adopted Senate Rules, Senate Republicans sent a message loud and clear to the powerful insurance industry today: "Help is on the way"

"We are sorely disappointed the Senate Republicans chose to institutionalize their love for the insurance industry today by adopting rules that protect the fat cats trying to deny Oklahomans the care their doctors say they need and the health coverage they deserve," Democratic Leader Charlie Laster said. "Sadly this is not what we believe Oklahomans bargained for nor do they deserve this sort of unprecedented power grabbing in the name of petty partisan paybacks."

Laster said Coffee spoke about the need for the State Senate to be a place where ideas are treated like seeds, rather than bullets, with the ability to grow and not die. He said he was hopeful Democrats would be successful in eliminating a new rule that would make it virtually impossible for any law requiring insurance companies to act responsibly to be heard in the state senate.

That hope was quickly dashed, Laster said, when Republicans voted in lock step to include in the rules of the State Senate a provision protecting one single industry, the insurance industry, from being held accountable for denying coverage of certain medical procedures such as colorectal screening and coverage for the treatment and diagnosis of Autism and cancer patients choosing to participate in clinical trials.

"I do not believe there is any other legislative chamber in the country that writes into their rules a provision protecting specific industries, much less an industry as powerful as insurance companies," Laster said. "We should be embarrassed that Republicans chose to protect their friends in the insurance industry over the need for Oklahomans to have access to affordable health care."

Laster said he finds it ironic that when Republicans were in the minority they often characterized the Senate as a place where "good bills go to die."

'Today, Republicans certainly made the statement the State Senate will now be a place where discussion about the health care of all Oklahomans will certainly die without debate," he concluded.

GOP uses newly minted power to limit insurance mandates, tax cuts

GOP uses newly minted power to limit insurance mandates, tax cuts
by Janice Francis-Smith
The Journal Record
January 7, 2009

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Sen. Glenn Coffee became the first Republican Senate president pro tempore in state history on Tuesday. Little more than an hour later, the new Republican majority used its power to grant special protections for the insurance industry and to establish an unprecedented level of power to the new Senate leadership.

Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, hailed the rules changes as reforms to promote open government. State Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, called the new rules an abomination. The rule change appeared to be an effort to thwart Gumm’s ongoing battle to pass Nick’s Law, which would require private health insurance companies in Oklahoma to cover autism treatment.

The revised rules pushed through by the Republican majority on a party-line vote of 26-22 requires any bill dealing with tax cuts or insurance mandates to be accompanied by an actuarial analysis in order to be heard in committee. The Oklahoma Tax Commission would prepare financial impact verification for tax-cut bills, while the Oklahoma State and Education Employees Group Insurance Board or the Oklahoma Health Care Authority would prepare fiscal information for insurance mandates.

However, neither the rules nor state statute compels state agencies to produce the fiscal analysis in a timely manner. If the agencies fail to provide the fiscal analysis in time to meet legislative deadlines, their inaction could kill the bill, said Gumm. Furthermore, the rules require the fiscal impact report be requested by the head of the committee or a designee of the majority floor leader, but not the author of the legislation in question.

State Sen. Jim Wilson, D-Tahlequah, asked the new floor leader, state Sen. Todd Lamb, R-Edmond, why the insurance industry was singled out by the new rules. Tax cuts are a function of government, he said, and bills involving a wide range of industries that may have an even greater effect on the state budget were not mentioned in the rules.

“Eighteen percent of Oklahomans are uninsured,” said Lamb. “That’s too high. It’s not a bad policy to take a step back” and carefully consider proposals that would affect the cost of health insurance, Lamb said.

“Just as impact studies are required for any tax increase or reduction, it is only fair that those empowered with mandating consumer expenses know what the impact of their actions will be,” Lamb said later. “We take very seriously the business of expending dollars, be they public or private dollars, and their impact on the people who put us in this position, the citizens of our state.”

Senate Minority Leader Charlie Laster, D-Shawnee, said Tuesday afternoon the rule changes institutionalize what he characterized as Senate Republicans’ love for the insurance industry.
“I do not believe there is any other legislative chamber in the country that writes into their rules a provision protecting specific industries, much less an industry as powerful as insurance companies,” said Laster. “We should be embarrassed that Republicans chose to protect their friends in the insurance industry over the need for Oklahomans to have access to affordable health care.”

Coffee said the rules require lawmakers to file substitute bills earlier in the process, allowing members more time to review proposed changes to legislation. Senators’ votes in committee will for the first time be published in the Senate Journal. The new rules allow the Senate to meet away from the Capitol building in case of a natural disaster or other emergency situation.
State Sen. Susan Paddack, D-Ada, asked members to postpone voting on the rules, which she said were distributed after 4 p.m. on the previous day. The Republican leadership dismissed Paddack’s request and Laster’s proposal to reinstitute the rules as they were in 2005. Laster’s proposal would have subjected the Senate Democrat minority to the same rules that had been imposed on Republicans when the two parties’ positions were reversed.

The rules as adopted Tuesday grant new authority to the presiding officer to allow other senators to speak in the Senate Chamber only after being assured in advance of what that senator plans to do or say once recognized. The rule changes even allow the floor leader to interrupt when another senator has the floor.

Other changes in the rules delete the requirement that bills be considered four times by the Senate, which appears to allow some bills to pass through the chamber just once. No one may distribute information at committee meetings without first getting the chairman’s approval. The secretary of the Senate, former Senate Republican spokesman Paul Zirax, is granted the authority to correct any nonsubstantive errors in language of any bill, provided the changes are printed in the Senate Journal.

While the former rule allows only present and former legislators, governors and lieutenant governors on the floor of the Senate Chamber during session, the rule was changed to allow spouses, children and grandchildren of Senate members on the floor while the Senate’s business is under way. Male members are now required to wear slacks or trousers in addition to the coat and tie required by the former rule.

Senate rule changes due vote

The proposal, to be voted on today, would give control of all committee assignments to Republicans.

By MICK HINTON World Capitol Bureau
Published: 1/6/2009

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Senate's new president pro tem, Glenn Coffee, is proposing Senate rules to be considered Tuesday that would give control of all committee assignments to Republicans.

The proposed rules also contain a requirement that amendments calling for expansion of insurance coverage can be ruled out of order by a committee chairman and not heard by the committee unless they contain a fiscal-impact statement.

This could affect whether the Legislature will be compelled to hear a bill referred to as "Nick's Law," which concerns mandated insurance coverage of autism.

Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, said Monday that the proposed rule changes are among the reforms he announced during the fall election campaign, when he pledged to promote lawsuit, health-care and criminal-justice reform.

"This isn't about personalities; we are trying to bring about reforms," Coffee said.

A power play erupted in December when Sen. Charles Laster, D-Shawnee, leader of the minority Democrats, announced committee assignments. Coffee overruled Laster and changed some of the assignments that same day.

Laster claimed that by tradition, the minority party had always been allowed to make its own assignments.

The proposed rules state that only the president pro tem would make committee assignments.

For the first time in history, both houses of the Legislature are under Republican control.

Senate rule changes must be approved by a majority.

The Senate has 26 Republicans

and 22 Democrats.