Stein, reviewing NC crime bill that passed after Charlotte stabbing, takes issue with lack of mental health funds

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said Thursday that he’s reviewing a new, wide-ranging crime bill, but he stopped short of saying he’d sign it.

2025-09-25

“Her death is an absolute travesty, horrific,” Stein told CNN in an interview. “What we need to do is make sure that, in response, we are going to take measures to keep our communities safer.”

Stein, a Democrat, pointed to his previous calls for the Republican-led state legislature to provide more resources for programs focused on people with mental health issues that might be a danger to themselves or others. “One thing this bill doesn't do is provide any funding to help us address that issue,” he said. Stein can sign, veto or let the bill become law without his signature.

Republican lawmakers passed the bill this week. The legislation — which sponsors called “Iryna’s Law” — is a response to the killing of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte last month. The 23-year-old had fled to North Carolina from war-torn Ukraine and was stabbed to death in a seemingly random attack on a commuter train. Her alleged killer, Decarlos Brown, is a homeless man who has since been sent for psychiatric evaluation to see if he’s mentally fit to stand trial. He had been released and was awaiting trial on misdemeanor charges in a separate case at the time of Zarutska’s death.

The new legislation includes a new effort to restart the death penalty in North Carolina, a practice that has been paused in the state due to legal challenges and other issues. The bill would also enact stricter rules for bail and ramp up monitoring of alleged criminals with mental health problems.

Stein has proposed other initiatives to lawmakers, including plans to address job vacancies to provide communities with more well-trained police to proactively patrol communities and promote safety. “We need them on the transit system, but we also need them throughout our communities,” he told CNN.

He added: “We need to address pretrial issues to make sure that people who are repeat offenders and engaged in violence are held if they pose a risk to society. And we really need to do a lot of work on mental health ability to go ahead.

“People need a place to go when they're having a schizophrenic attack, if they are a risk to themselves,” Stein continued. “If they're a risk to other people, we need some place for them to go.”

Brown, whose family has said suffers from schizophrenia, faces state and federal murder charges. A lawyer for Brown didn't respond to WRAL’s requests for comment this week. He has previously declined to comment on the case.

The bill passed the state House by a vote of 82 to 30 on Tuesday, a day after clearing the Senate 28-8 — a vote that came after most Democrats walked out in protest. The bill had previously enjoyed bipartisan support — until Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, made a surprise, last-minute amendment to restart executions of prisoners.

Representatives of Berger and House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

"This heinous act was preventable and is a direct result of judicial officials being too soft on crime, and allowing too many criminals to have a revolving door that come into our neighborhoods and into our communities," said Rep. Tricia Cotham, R-Mecklenburg, said during a debate over the bill on Tuesday.