North Carolina Governor Stein Signs 'Iryna's Law' Criminal Justice Bill After Ukrainian Refugee's Death

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein signed into law a Republican-led criminal justice bill known as "Iryna's Law," named after Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who was fatally stabbed on a Charlotte commuter train. The law aims to tighten pre-trial release conditions for those accused of violent crimes and increase judicial scrutiny in bail decisions, measures Stein supports as positive steps for public safety. However, Stein criticized other aspects of the legislation, particularly changes to the death penalty that mandate the state to seek alternative execution methods if lethal injection is ruled unconstitutional, a provision he described as "barbaric" and vowed to oppose methods like firing squads during his governorship. The bill, which also streamlines the death penalty process, was passed amid political contention, with Republicans blaming local Democratic leaders for soft-on-crime policies and Democrats arguing the bill lacks ambition and funding for addressing root causes such as mental health. The law garnered bipartisan support in the legislature, making a veto unlikely to be sustained. Stein also noted the absence of his proposed public safety measures, including increased law enforcement pay and comprehensive background checks, expressing concern about the bill's limited scope in improving overall safety.