Cambridge's House delegation reflected the sensitive nature of the issue, splitting 2-1 in favor of the measure.

Reps. Timothy J. Toomey Jr. and Alvin E. Thompson voted in favor of the bill, while Rep. Alice K. Wolf, a former mayor of Cambridge, voted against it.

After the House recessed, Wolf expressed her disappointment in an interview.

"These are heinous crimes and they are abhorrent to all of us, but the question is what do we do about it?" she asked. "The death penalty is not the answer."

Although last night's vote was marked by the lack of large-scale demonstrations, two members of the Civil Liberties Union of Harvard (CLUH) were in the House gallery to protest the legislation.

The students also presented House majority leader William P. Nagle Jr. (D-Hatfield) with a petition signed by 222 Harvard community members who protest the bill.

After the vote, CLUH co-head Jal D. Mehta '99, who is also a Crimson editor, expressed mellancholy.

"For one of the most liberal states in America to vote to sanction state-sponsored killing is a sad moment in this country's history."

But victims of crimes and their relatives took an emotional stance that apparently resonated with lawmakers.

Robert Curley, the youngster's father, issued a warning to opponents as the House kicked off its debate yesterday morning.

"The people want it. The people are the ones who put you in there," he said. "If it doesn't get done today, then enjoy your time here in the State House, because you may be gone the next time."

The Senate version includes the death penalty for 12 crimes, including killing a police officer. The House version expanded it to 15 crimes, including domestic violence murders.

The state held its last execution in 1947. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court threw out the most recent death-penalty law in 1984, ruling that it could be applied unevenly.

"The people overwhelmingly support this because they want this violence to end, they want justice," Cellucci said.

"Will we become the 39th state in the union to say, 'If you steal somebody else's life, stand by, you face the risk of forfeiting your own life'?" asked Rep. Paul R. Haley (D-Weymouth) a death-penalty supporter, as he kicked off the debate.

But opponents quickly rose, questioning whether capital punishment serves as a deterrent. Some also said reinstating it in Massachusetts would be a pox on a state that prides itself for its enlightenment.

"Whipped by fear, whipped by the media, we now cry out for death," said Rep. James H. Fagan (D-Taunton), a death-penalty opponent. "Where is the justice?"

He proposed an amendment to televise any execution the state conducts.

A Boston Herald poll published yesterday showed that 74 percent of Massachusetts voters back a death penalty for those who kill a child. Some 40 percent said they would be less likely to reelect their representative if he or she voted against the bill.

The poll of 305 registered voters had a margin of error of 5.6 percent.

--The Associated Press contributed to the reporting of this article.