A bundle of new North Carolina laws, including packages of changes to criminal punishments and the state’s pretrial release process, are set to take effect on Dec. 1.

That includes “Iryna’s Law”, a Republican-led measure that limits pretrial release options for those accused of violent crimes, ramps up scrutiny of court magistrates and attempts to jumpstart the state’s death penalty process.

State lawmakers passed the bill earlier this year after Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian woman, was killed on public transit in Charlotte. That killing sparked national headlines and drew the attention of the White House. House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) has called the new law a “first step to ensure what happened to her never happens again.”

Gov. Josh Stein signed the bill into law in Octobe

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