Romney Promises Error-Proof Death Penalty Bill

Governor Mitt Romney is pressing ahead with what he says was a 2002 campaign pledge to reinstate the death penalty in Massachusetts. Despite winning 65 percent public support in a poll in May, the governor's bill is expected to die in committee at the Statehouse.

This fact raises questions about why Romney is making this issue a priority. WBUR's Martha Bebinger begins her coverage on Beacon Street, where protesters staged a mostly silent vigil outside the Statehouse hearing yesterday. Among some of the groups making their presence known were the Massachusetts Citizens Against the Death Penalty, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Veterans for Peace.