The New Hampshire House has approved a measure to repeal the state's death penalty after rejecting an amendment that would have spared the life of the only convict on death row in the state.

The House voted 225-104 in favor of repeal.

“If we let those who kill turn us into killers, then evil triumphs,” said Rep. Renny Cushing, a Hampton Democrat and the bill’s prime sponsor.

“If I changed my position on the death penalty because my father was murdered, that would only give more power to the murderers…not only would my father be taken away from me, but so would my values,” Cushing said.

Earlier, the chamber voted against an amendment to spare the life of convicted cop-killer Michael Addison. They also rejected an amendment to expand the state's death penalty to the murderers of children 12 and under.

The Legislature voted to repeal capital punishment in 2000, but then-Gov. Jeanne Shaheen vetoed the bill.

Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan has said she supports repeal as long as it is not applied retroactively to Addison's case.

The measure goes to the Republican-controlled Senate next where it faces an uncertain future.