Election day, on Nov. 2, is less than two weeks away and the candidates for Senate District 6, which covers all of Sacramento County, are coming to Sacramento State to discuss the issues of higher education, among other topics.

This event will be held in the University Union Ballroom today from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

The candidates running for office are libertarian Steve Torno, republican Marcel Weiland, and incumbent democrat Darrell Steinberg.

One of the most pertinent issues for college students face is higher education. Candidates will be sure to address this issue and assert their stances on this and other topics during the debate.

Steinberg said he is a proud product of California’s public higher educational system and the last thing California should do is “make cuts” to the higher education system.

“The worldwide economic recession and the volatility of California’s state budgeting has created fee increases and non-stop roller coaster rides in terms of state funds,” Steinberg said. “As Senate leader I was successful in negotiating a budget this year which provided funding above the 2009 to 2010 level that included full funding for enrollment growth and an augmentation of $400 million for our Universities and State Universities of California.”

Republican candidate Weiland said he is also from the higher education system in California and he has seen first-hand the need for “affordable” higher education.

“I believe that affordable education is key to the success of our state,” Weiland said in an email to The State Hornet. “As the recession continues to wreak havoc on the personal finances of students and their parents it is now more important than ever to do all we can to limit fee increases in our education system.”

Torno said he would like to see California universities restored back to “free-tuition” schools because taxpayers are not receiving value for what they spend.

“This would increase competition and ensure that the best and brightest are being accepted into our programs,” Torno said. “When I graduated high school only 5 percent of graduating seniors qualified for college level English. Now the figure is close to 2.5 percent. While California continues to throw money at the problem, we, as taxpayers, are not receiving value we (deserve).”

Torno said he is running for office because he believes most people are in fact Libertarians.

“The party suffers from lack of exposure, and I feel obligated to spread the word of limited government, and increased personal freedom,” he said.

Laila Barakat can be reached at [email protected]