North Carolina GOP vows crime crackdown after Charlotte light rail stabbing
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Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Destin Hall speak at a joint press conference Thursday in Raleigh. Photo: Mary Helen Moore/Axios
North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall and Senate leader Phil Berger said in a joint press conference Thursday in Raleigh that they're working on legislation to limit cashless bail and bring back the death penalty.
Why it matters: State GOP lawmakers want North Carolina cities to get tougher on crime following the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte's light rail.
- "We cannot stand by while our cities are held hostage by soft-on-crime policies," Berger said.
The big picture: The suspect, Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., 34, should have been in jail due to his violent criminal history and schizophrenia diagnosis, legislative leaders said.
- The seemingly random attack has drawn national attention, especially after graphic surveillance footage was released last weekend.
- "I'm hopeful that we can reach some sort of bipartisan solution," Hall said, adding that he discussed it at length with Democratic Gov. Josh Stein.
The intrigue: It was a rare joint appearance for Berger and Hall, who have for months been at a stalemate over the state budget.
Zoom in: Republicans zeroed in on cashless bail, saying new statewide restrictions should rein in local judges and prosecutors.
- "If they have a prior violent felony on their record, it simply should not even be an option to allow that person to have some sort of cashless bail," Hall said.
- State oversight is needed, he added, over magistrate judges, the local appointees who typically set bail.
Yes, but: Critics of the cash bail system say it punishes low-income people who can't afford to post bond, without actually reducing crime.
- And the death penalty is legal in North Carolina, though the state hasn't executed anyone since 2006 because of court battles.
The other side: Democratic leaders in Charlotte have also identified ways to address violent crime following Zarutska's death. Mayor Vi Lyles said there will immediately be tighter security on the city's public transit systems. She also called for a bipartisan solution to "address repeat offenders who do not face consequences for their actions."
- District Attorney Spencer Merriweather told Axios his office needs more prosecutors, but the issue is at a standstill until a state budget is passed.
Between the lines: Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley also spoke at the presser, urging lawmakers "at every level to acknowledge that there is a crime crisis here in North Carolina and across the country."
- In a statement, House Democratic leader Robert Rieves accused Whatley of " overt politicking."
What's next: Legislative leaders said they'll have a bill ready for debate by Sept. 22, when session is scheduled to resume.