Republican leaders in the North Carolina General Assembly are intensifying efforts to rein in task forces, like the Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice (TREC), and have singled out cashless bail among the policies they believe pose serious threats to public safety.
At a Sept. 11 press conference, speaker of the NC House Destin Hall and NC Senate Leader Phil Berger announced they will introduce a crime legislation package on Sept. 22. Berger said the General Assembly is working to prevent Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, and other executive officials from forming task forces like TREC.
He asserted that TREC had promoted “soft-on-crime” policies and that its recommendations contributed to dangerous outcomes, including allowing individuals who might have posed a risk to remain free pretrial.
A central focus of the legislative push is to end cashless bail. Hall and Berger pointed to the case of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian immigrant recently murdered in Charlotte. The alleged murderer, they say, had a violent felony antecedent, multiple charges, and documented mental health issues. Under current pretrial release practices, this individual was released from jail via a written promise to appear rather than through a secured bond, according to Hall.
Background on TREC and Its Mission
TREC was established by Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper in June 2020, in direct response to nationwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd in a confrontation with Minneapolis police. According to NCDOJ, its mandate was to investigate “policies and procedures that disproportionately affect communities of color,” and to recommend reforms “to ensure racial equity in North Carolina’s criminal justice system.”
The task force was co-chaired by Public Safety Secretary Eddie Buffaloe Jr. and North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls. Stein was also a member of this task force when he held the position of North Carolina attorney general. As of Dec. 31, 2024, the Task Force for Racial Equity executive order ended, and the program is no longer in operation.
Among TREC’s recommendations (from its reports and charts), was a proposal to eliminate cash bail for Class I, II, and III misdemeanors unless there is a risk to public safety. The proposal is part of a broader set of pretrial reforms intended to address racial-disparities in court outcomes.
Legislative Criticism
Hall and Berger argued these task force recommendations go too far.
“This was largely the result of somebody being released from jail who should not have been released,” Hall said. “An individual with a violent history, a convicted felon with multiple charges and mental health issues, somehow was allowed to walk out of jail by simply signing a written promise to appear.”
Hall emphasized that under proper conditions of release, he believes Zarutska might still be alive.
“If they had been required to post a secured bond, most likely the victim in Charlotte would still be alive today,” he said. “When someone with a prior violent felony comes before a magistrate, cashless bail should not even be an option.”
As part of the upcoming Sept. 22 legislative package, the General Assembly is expected to include provisions to restrict the power of executive branch officials to create task forces similar in influence to TREC. At least one specific bill reportedly under consideration will aim to end cashless bail, or at least severely limit its use — Hall declared that cashless bail “should not be an option” in cases like the one they cited.
Berger went further, tying the case to TREC’s broader influence.
“We can start by ensuring that Gov. Stein and other members of the executive branch cannot establish any future task forces like the one Roy Cooper created,” he said.
He pointed to the provisions of the task-force that he felt were flawed.
“That task force advanced weak-on-crime policies that kept the murderer on the streets,” he continued. “We cannot keep our citizens safe if our policies favor criminals over public safety.”
Broader Reform
The Sept. 22 bill is expected to go beyond bail reform. Hall said lawmakers will also examine magistrate oversight, training, and selection.
“We’ve got to make sure the folks making these decisions are paying attention to public safety — not left-wing interests,” he said. “That means stronger oversight of magistrates and a closer look at their ethical responsibilities.”
Berger signaled that Republicans are considering reviving the death penalty, which has been under a judicial moratorium for more than a decade.
“For far too long, activist judges and governors have blocked the death penalty,” he said. “Justice requires that we restart in North Carolina.”
Berger concluded with his support for President Trump’s stance on public safety.
“Now is not the time to sit back and hope for the best. We need to take bold, decisive action. President Trump’s vision to create a safer America is something we can replicate here in North Carolina.”