Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC) told Breitbart News exclusively he plans to introduce two bills aimed at limiting federal support for jurisdictions that adopt cashless bail policies or cut police funding, legislation unveiled in the wake of the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s Lynx Blue Line train.
The two measures, the No Funding for Lawless Jurisdictions Act and the Cashless Bail Reporting Act, were introduced with the support of cosponsors Reps. Ralph Norman (R-SC), Chuck Edwards (R-NC), Sherri Biggs (R-NC), and Keith Self (R-TX), alongside Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX), Dave Taylor (R-TN), Josh Brecheen (R-OK), Mary Miller (R-IL), Greg Murphy (R-NC), and Andy Biggs (R-AZ). Harris’s office explained the rollout was timed with a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight field hearing in Charlotte, which examined violent crime, repeat offenders, and pretrial release practices.
The Charlotte hearing, titled “Victims of Violent Crime,” featured testimony from local officials and victims’ families. It highlighted the murder of Iryna Zarutska as part of a wider discussion about violent crime in the region and the impact of lenient bail policies.
The No Funding for Lawless Jurisdictions Act would prohibit federal taxpayer dollars from subsidizing jurisdictions that defund police departments or allow cashless bail for violent criminals and foreign convicts. Specifically, the bill would restrict access to Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funds in localities with such policies. A one-pager for the proposal stated that “Iryna’s death was a preventable tragedy” resulting from failures in Charlotte’s pretrial release system and broader “soft-on-crime” policies in the state.
The Cashless Bail Reporting Act would require the Department of Justice to publish and update quarterly a list of jurisdictions with cashless bail policies. It codifies section 2 of President Trump’s executive order ‘Taking Steps To End Cashless Bail To Protect Americans,’ and aims to provide transparency for Americans about local bail laws.. The one-pager cites multiple examples of violent offenders released without bail who later committed serious crimes in Charlotte, New York City, and Washington, D.C.
The suspect, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., had been released without bond in January despite 14 prior charges. Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes’s decision to free him has faced calls for her removal from Harris and the entire North Carolina GOP delegation. A Change.org petition seeking her dismissal has now gathered more than 29,000 signatures, with Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC) among those voicing support.
The North Carolina House passed “Iryna’s Law” earlier this month, limiting judicial discretion in pretrial release decisions and eliminating cashless bail for certain crimes.
Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was stabbed three times in the throat while riding the train on August 22. Video footage released by WBTV showed Brown taking out a pocketknife and attacking her. He was later arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
In a statement announcing the bills, Harris said: “America is facing a crime epidemic. Too often Democrat-run cities put criminals first and victims last — Iryna Zarutska, who was murdered just miles outside my district, is just one of the many victims that pro-crime Democrats have failed. That’s why I’m fighting to ensure that federal taxpayers are not forced to bankroll dangerous, pro-crime policies in Democrat-run cities. States and local communities that refuse to invest in law enforcement or implement policies that deter crime should not expect Washington to foot the bill.”
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