CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday proposed selling or leasing the state lottery to raise $10 billion to fund education.
The plan by the Democrat, who is running for re-election, would help pay for everything from school construction to personnel. It won't be considered until the fall legislative session, after November's election.
"This education plan is historic, it's ambitious and it will fundamentally change the way we fund schools," Blagojevich said at a school on Chicago's South Side.
The plan calls for $4 billion from any lottery deal to be funneled to schools over four years. The remaining $6 billion would be put into a long-term annuity to help fund schools through 2025. After that, the state would have to find a new source, said Deputy Gov. Bradley Tusk.
Last year, $650 million in lottery money was spent on schools. That amounted to about 9 percent of the state's spending on education. How those numbers might change under the governor's plan wasn't immediately clear.
The state's two major teacher unions applauded Blagojevich for trying to address education needs, but they did not endorse the plan, saying they want further discussions on the best way to support schools.
Critics also said the education plan does not change the fact that districts still must rely heavily on property taxes, which creates inequities between rich and poor areas.
Details came just days after state Sen. James Meeks abandoned his third-party bid for governor because Blagojevich promised him an education plan that included more money for schools.
Meeks, a popular black Chicago minister, could have hurt Blagojevich's re-election efforts by drawing away critical black votes.
Nonetheless, the plan puts pressure on Blagojevich's Republican rival, state Treasurer Judy Topinka, to come up with a plan of her own.
Topinka called the plan a "stunt," saying it won't improve education and will cost the state money.
"I don't think it accomplishes what it says it's going to accomplish, and it's a big scam," she said.