North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has signed Iryna’s Law, ending cashless bail for certain offenders and requiring electronic monitoring for violent repeat offenders. State House Speaker Destin Hall (R) said it aims to keep dangerous individuals off the streets, while Democrats have criticized its potential impact on equity. The measure will now be implemented across the state.
Hall wrote, “For too long, activist judges and magistrates have turned dangerous criminals loose, endangering lives and spreading chaos in our communities. That ends now.”
Hall added, “Iryna Zarutska’s murder is a tragic reminder of what’s at stake. That’s why we are delivering some of the strongest tough-on-crime reforms in North Carolina history.”
The North Carolina House approved the bill 81–31, and the governor’s signature enacted it into law. It tightens pretrial restrictions for certain defendants and expands GPS ankle monitoring for violent repeat offenders.
Republican leaders noted the law addresses public safety lapses and will curb repeat violent crime. Stein said, “House Bill 307, or ‘Iryna’s Law,’ alerts the judiciary to take a special look at people who may pose unusual risks of violence before determining their bail. That’s a good thing and why I have signed it into law.”
Some Republicans have pushed for Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska’s murder to receive the death penalty by firing squad. New Hanover County Republican Chairman John Hinnant said, “The capital punishment by firing squad is not a new concept. There have been so many challenges to medical capital punishment versus the gas chamber.”
Hinnant added, “Science is constantly changing, but one thing that hasn’t changed in science is what happens with the firing squad.”
