Brian Echevarria, Representative for North Carolina State House District 82, announced that the legislature passed Iryna’s Law. The law was proposed following the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska. Echevarria urged Governor Josh Stein to sign it into law. The statement was made on X.
“Democrats spent hours opposing Iryna’s Law,” said Echevarria, North Carolina State Representative from 82nd District (R). “but the GA passed it. It boosts judicial transparency and criminal accountability and reforms soft-on-crime policies that make our communities less safe. Now it’s up to the Gov. to do his part.”
According to Carolina Journal, Iryna’s Law passed the North Carolina House by a vote of 81–31 and the Senate by 28–8, indicating significant bipartisan support. The bill was introduced in response to concerns about violent offenders being released back into communities under lenient bail systems. Its strong margins of approval position the legislation as one of the most consequential public safety reforms of the 2025 session.
The Center Square reports that the bill was sent to Governor Stein on September 23, 2025, triggering a ten-day window for executive action. Stein has until October 3 to either sign or veto the legislation; if he takes no action, the bill will automatically become law without his signature. This deadline highlights how North Carolina’s constitution prevents governors from indefinitely stalling legislation passed by the General Assembly.
As detailed by Carolina Journal, the bill tightens pretrial release conditions by eliminating cashless bail in violent cases and requiring judicial officials to review defendants’ prior criminal records before setting release terms. It further mandates that judges or magistrates provide written explanations for their decisions, creating new layers of accountability and transparency. Additionally, prosecutors would gain authority to pursue the death penalty in cases similar to Iryna Zarutska’s, marking an expansion of capital punishment discretion in the state.
Echevarria represents House District 82 in Cabarrus County and is serving his first term beginning January 1, 2025. Before assuming office, his professional background included work as a financial advisor and small business owner, reflecting a private sector and entrepreneurial track record. His biography notes that he succeeded Kristin Baker in this seat and holds responsibilities to represent Cabarrus within the NC House during the 2025–2026 session.
