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RALEIGH, N.C. — Republican leaders in the North Carolina General Assembly said Wednesday they will introduce sweeping criminal justice reforms later this month in response to a string of high-profile killings, including the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte and the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a campus event in Utah.
At the press conference, House Speaker Destin Hall, Senate Leader Phil Berger, and former GOP Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley linked the tragedies to what they called “soft on crime” policies. The officials promised legislation to end cashless bail, tighten oversight of magistrates, and consider reinstating the death penalty. They framed the moment as part of a broader national crisis of violence and vowed bipartisan talks with Gov. Josh Stein. Whatley is running against former governor Roy Cooper for U.S. Senate in 2026.
Federal prosecutors announced a new charge of a terror attack on Sept. 9 against Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, who is accused of fatally stabbing Iryna Zarutska, 23, on Aug. 22. (Read the FBI affidavit and complaint on my DocumentCloud.)
“This was largely as a result of somebody being released from a jail who should not have been released from a jail,” Hall said, describing the Charlotte case. “We’ve got to get to the bottom of how it happened … and we’re looking at a number of possible legislative actions.”
Whatley invoked scripture to describe Kirk’s legacy and said political rhetoric has fueled attacks. “President Trump was spot on about what leads to a culture like this one,” he said. “When folks on the left seek to dehumanize those they disagree with … that’s what leads to deranged people doing cowardly and evil acts.”
Berger said he is examining ways to restart the death penalty and called for “bold, decisive action.” He added, “Policing doesn’t need to be reimagined. It needs to be respected. It needs to be funded.”
The Republican leaders said their proposal, expected the week of Sept. 22, will include measures to restrict magistrates’ discretion in releasing violent offenders, require secured bonds for repeat offenders, and review Mecklenburg County and Charlotte funding tied to bail reform.
Despite the partisan tone, Hall said conversations have begun with Stein, a Democrat. “Our goal right now is to have a bipartisan solution,” Hall said. “We know we need to act quickly, and I think anyone would understand that, including the governor.”
In a statement on social media yesterday, Gov. Stein wrote, “My heart is heavy with sadness from senseless murders — Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, Iryna Zarutska, and Charlie Kirk — and school shootings last month in Minneapolis and today in Colorado. We are grappling with a series of devastating tragedies, one after another. I urge everyone to spend time with loved ones tonight, hold them close, and then come back tomorrow ready to fight for the soul of this nation. We cannot, we will not give up on America.”
Republicans were quick to call out Stein’s statement that violence or the need to “fight” should not be the answer to political disagreement.
