North Carolina Legislature Passes Bill Spurred by Fatal Knife Attack on Ukrainian Refugee

The bill, in part, looks to unblock a freeze on executions in a state with the death penalty.

Iryna Zarutska in an undated photo. Iryna Zarutska via Instagram via Reuters

The North Carolina Legislature has approved a package of incarceration and mental health measures following the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee last month.

The GOP-led omnibus bill, named “Iryna’s Law” after 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska—who was killed on a light rail train in Charlotte—passed the House in an 81-31 bipartisan vote, following a party-line Senate vote on Monday.