State lawmakers are rounding up support across branches of North Carolina’s government ahead of a major criminal law reform bill expected to be filed Sept. 22 in the General Assembly. The move comes amid public outrage following the recent light rail murder of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte and growing demands for stronger protections in public spaces.
Charlotte City Council is also scheduled to meet on Sept. 22 to consider, among other proposals, expanding the jurisdiction of a private security contractor tasked with safety monitoring on the city’s light rail system. Charlotte Area Transit System’s contract with Professional Police Services LLC was signed in July 2023 and is due to expire in July 2026.
The US House Judiciary Committee will hold a field hearing in Charlotte on Sept. 29. The hearing is expected to focus on safety in public transit systems and on how repeat offenders are treated under existing criminal justice and pretrial policies.
Meantime, Gov. Josh Stein visited Charlotte this week to speak to the NCBiotech Summit and was scheduled to meet with Zarutska’s family. In a press conference while there, he indicated support for the legislature’s plan to reform how courts handle pretrial detention…