The North Carolina Legislature has approved a package of incarceration and mental health measures following the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee last month.
The GOP-led omnibus bill, named “Iryna’s Law” after 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska—who was killed on a light rail train in Charlotte—passed the House in an 81-31 bipartisan vote, following a party-line Senate vote on Monday.
The bill aims to tighten numerous practices in the justice system, such as bail conditions and mental health requirements for those convicted of crime. It also looks to unfreeze a decade-long roadblock to the state performing executions.
The bill now awaits a decision from Gov. Josh Stein, a former attorney general, who has not publicly said whether or not he will support the bill. A spokesperson from the governor’s office said that Stein is reviewing the package….