State cuts to higher education funding did not occur overnight, said Attorney General Rob McKenna(CQ) Wednesday night at an ASWSU Senate meeting.

“The fact of the matter is that state policy-makers have been systematically defunding our four-year colleges and universities for 20 years,” he said.

McKenna, who is running for the governor’s seat, said the state legislature spent more (not accounting for inflation) on higher education in 1989 that it is now, even though the state has about $20 million more in its budget. It is astounding that university funding has lost so much ground, he said.

He attributed the historical lack of higher education funding to short-sighted public policy. He said while healthcare is important, legislators need to allocate a portion of the healthcare funding to higher education, or eventually everyone will be on Medicaid.

“Cannibalizing higher education funding is like eating our seed corn,” he said. “And we have to stop.”

The lack of funds for universities stems from higher education not being legislators’ top priority, McKenna said. Every legislator has a community college in his or her district, but not every legislator represents a district with a university, he said.

He said a disproportionate share of growth must be put toward higher education to compensate for the hit it has taken over the last two decades.

Also, he said university alumni, as well as students, faculty and parents need to get more politically involved and organized to lobby for more state funding. They need to think like a special interest group, he said.

McKenna, a former student body president of the University of Washington, also emphasized the importance of student body governments.

Democracy is great, but it only works when people are willing to step up, he said. McKenna encouraged the senators to consider running for public office after they graduate.

 “At some point I hope you’ll all consider holding public office … think about someday taking your turn, because we’re really counting on you,” he said. “And our country has flourished, our state has flourished, because generation after generation has produced good leaders, and I think student government experience is a great foundation for that.”

After McKenna’s speech, District 1 Senator Omar Rubio(CQ) said he enjoyed it because it was informative.

“It’s nice to hear he’s devoted to higher education,” he said. “I think he’ll be a good replacement for Gregoire(CQ).”

District 1 Senator Brenna Stroup(CQ) said McKenna was a practiced politician, and he told the senators what he thought they wanted to hear. Though the attorney general encouraged the senators to get contact state legislators about increasing university funding, she is frustrated with state legislators, she said.

“No matter how much we lobby and how letters we write and how many calls we do, our representatives continue to defund our education.”