Opponents of the bill, which has already passed the Senate, have pummeled House members with e-mail, telephone calls and even a videotape, asking them not to support the bill.

Daniel Newby was among those who worked for the passage of Initiative B. Urquhart's amendment is just another ploy by law enforcement to deprive citizens of their rights, he said.

"The citizens of Utah have spoken and spoken loudly," said Newby. "But these clowns are still skulking around in back rooms trying to circumvent the will of the people and their due process. What a joke to take a citizen initiative like that and trample it."

Buttars does not think that changing the hearts and minds of voters is an insurmountable task. Most probably didn't understand that a consequence of their vote would tie the hands of police in fighting crime, Buttars has said. He recognizes, however, that the opinions of some will never be changed.

"I'm not going to try. I'm looking for balance here," Buttars said. "After four years, we're going to let our state law enforcement get back into the business of drug interdiction. I really believe that since Initiative B, we had a declaration in Utah that drug trafficking pays. This is the first major step to say, 'no, it doesn't.' "

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E-mail: jdobner@desnews.com