In the weeks since the UT System released its preliminary survey on sexual assault, we’ve covered the issue from the student perspective, with guest pieces from Voices against Violence and the Interpersonal Violence Prevention Coalition. Today, we’re presenting takes on how to work toward solving the problem from movers and shakers in the Texas political scene.

State Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, writes about two bills he has proposed that he hopes will reform the process of reporting assaults to better support and accommodate survivors. While Watson works to address the issue through changing the law, Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman writes about how survivors can take advantage of the resources available under current state policy, including free legal advice and counseling.

State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, discusses HB 3488, a pro-Public Business Corporation bill she laid out this week that aims to promote socially conscious business practices in the state of Texas. She discusses how this bill can prove especially useful when a strict state budget inevitably means various programs will fail to receive adequate funding.

Next week’s Forum will present a variety of perspectives on the future of the Republican Party in Texas. If you’d like to weigh in on that subject or any other, reach out to us at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!

Shenhar is a Plan II, economics and government senior from Westport, Connecticut. Vernon is an anthropology and rhetoric and writing sophomore from The Woodlands.