with New England's first execution in 45 years looming...

with New England's first execution in 45 years looming, Connecticut lawmakers refused to overturn the state's death penalty. 
The House of Representatives, after more than five hours of debate, voted 89-60 against a bill that would have replaced the state's death sentence with life in prison without the possibility of release.
The bill would have spared serial killer Michael Ross and 6 other death row inmates from lethal injection. Ross, who has admitted killing 8 women, is scheduled to die on May 11.
The vote came as a woman who was raped by Ross in 1983 spoke out against the death penalty.
"I'm not a killer. I couldn't do it," Vivian Dobson said through tears. I don't want to be a part of killing somebody else."
Legislators who want to end capital punishment had acknowledged for weeks that the bill had no chance of passing. However, they said the House vote allowed them to debate the public policy before Ross' execution.