Senate Leader Phil Berger, Speaker Destin Hall and Chairman Michael Whatley Hold Press Conference To Announce Public Safety Initiatives

Today, N.C. Senate Leader Phil Berger, N.C. House Speaker Destin Hall, and Senate Candidate Michael Whatley held a press conference announcing plans to enact legislation to strengthen public safety policy. The goal of these policies is to prevent violent murders like we saw on the Charlotte light rail.  

Speaker Hall started off the press conference by recognizing the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and condemning the political assassination of Charlie Kirk. Hall then acknowledged the tragic murder of Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail trail on her way home from work. Hall noted that the individual had multiple criminal charges, clear mental health issues, and several interactions with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police. Despite all these interactions with the criminal justice system, the suspect was still allowed in public.  

Senate Candidate Chairman Michael Whatley took to the podium next. Whatley remembered the death of Charlie Kirk, saying, “As we think about Charlie Kirk and his loss, which was just yesterday, what comes to mind is a quote from 2 Timothy 4:7, ‘I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.’ And in Charlie’s case, that was certainly true.” Whatley then went on to echo President Trump’s warning about dehumanizing political opponents, which leads to violence.  

Whatley then went on to call out former Governor Cooper’s long record of soft-on-crime policies. He highlighted Cooper’s decision to let 3,500 criminals free and Cooper’s executive orders. Noting that Cooper was the top law enforcement officer, while DeCarlos Brown was in and out of jail. Whatley said the recent events were a call to action to make our streets safe again.  

Senate Leader Phil Berger spoke next, saying, “Iryna Zarutska should be alive today. But her life was tragically cut short because of atrocious polices pushed by out-of-touch politicians and court officials that prioritize a perverted vision or version of equity and politicized social justice over real and tangible justice. The hardworking men and women in law enforcement go after and catch violent criminals. But too often, as soon as the criminals are brought before a magistrate or a judge, their efforts to keep our communities safe go down the drain. We cannot stand by while our cities are held hostage by soft-on-crime policies. We must stop the ongoing violence from overtaking our state and our county.” 

Berger went on to say that the political assassination of Charlie Kirk was the latest in a string of political violence. And said that we must take crime and violence seriously, and our law and legal practices must reflect that seriousness.  

When the General Assembly returns on the week of September 22nd, Berger said the body would tackle legislation to address violent crime. First, Berger said there would likely be restrictions on task forces that undermine the law, and he committed to breaking the de facto judicial moratorium on the death penalty in North Carolina.  

Speaker Hall finished the remarks at the podium, saying that the General Assembly would look to end cashless bail in North Carolina. Hall said the General Assembly would examine the way magistrates administer the law in North Carolina and other ways to improve access to mental health resources. Additionally, Hall said he would examine Mecklenburg’s budget to see where grants from liberal groups may influence their decision, which is something the Blue Ridge Times highlighted on Tuesday.  

Hall concluded his remarks by noting that what happened in Charlotte was tragic, but it’s important to remember that this could have happened to any one of our loved ones. The legislation that they plan to work on will likely save lives.