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Utah Senate president warns lawmakers he’d be willing to have them detained to ensure they vote on medical marijuana

Utah Senate President Wayne Niederhauser isn’t playing around when it comes to attendance at the anticipated Dec. 3 special session on medical cannabis.

In fact, he’s even prepared to send the Senate sergeant-at-arms to track down any truant lawmakers.

“As Senate President, I can compel attendance of absent senators,” he wrote in a Thursday email to his colleagues. “While I don’t believe that will be necessary in this case, due to the importance of the special session, I will not hesitate to order the sergeant-at-arms to find and ensure your attendance.”

Filling seats in the 29-member Senate is especially important in this case because Niederhauser and others want the draft medical marijuana bill to take effect as soon as it’s signed.