Gov. Stein Reluctantly Signs Iryna’s Law At The Last Minute

On Friday, Governor Stein signed Iryna’s law on the last day of his decision window to either sign, veto, or allow the law to become effective without his signature. Iryna’s Law ended some of the soft on crime policies that allowed Decarlos Brown Jr. back onto the streets to await trial, despite his violent criminal record.  

In his video message, released in a Friday night news dump to minimize visibility, Stein affirmed people’s concern about safety, explained that he was singing the bill because it alerts the judiciary to look at someone’s history of violence before setting bail. He then attacked the General Assembly for requiring bail in certain circumstances and provisions to realize the death penalty. 

Speaker Destin Hall disputed Stein’s mischaracterization of the law saying, “Iryna’s Law has been signed and is now a reality in NC. This is a critical legislation that makes our state safer by ending cashless bail and getting career criminals off the street. We will never forget Iryna Zarutska and this is the right first step to ensure what happened to her never happens again.”