RALEIGH - Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue announced on Friday that a group of legislators, businessmen, businesswomen and civic leaders created a foundation of a new coalition to support the North Carolina lottery.

The Common Cents Coalition (CCC) was founded to push for a lottery in North Carolina, said Perdue in a news conference outside the Legislative building in Raleigh. Because of the $2 billion budget shortfall, North Carolina could only benefit from the lottery, Perdue reported. The CCC said a lottery would be a steady source of income for North Carolina, bringing in about $250 million per year.

"The money from the lottery can only be beneficial to North Carolina because of our current budget crisis," said Perdue. "We need the extra money."

Since North Carolina doesn't have a lottery, Perdue reported that people are going to Virginia to buy lottery tickets. Perdue said that this is "robbing our kids" because money that should be going back into North Carolina is going towards Virginia's public school system.

"What we have here is a basic situation where North Carolinians are paying for Virginia's education system," said Perdue.

Perdue said that the CCC suggests that all proceeds from the lottery should be put into a fund for N.C. education. The money should fund educational needs such as the increase of teachers' salaries and the improvement of school buildings. The money from the lottery will also provide scholarships for deserving students and will fund an enrollment increase on UNC campuses.

Gov. Mike Easley has already included separate funds for an enrollment increase on UNC campuses in his next budget plan, said Perdue.

"The money from the lottery will serve as a supplement to the already existing education budget," Perdue said.

President Pro Tempore for the N.C. Senate, Marc Basnight, agreed with Perdue and Gov. Easley. "I completely support Beverly Perdue and the CCC," he said. "Our schools need to be upgraded. We could certainly use the money in northeastern North Carolina."

Although the CCC believes the lottery to be the best thing for North Carolina, some people strongly oppose it, said Perdue.

Cassandra Imfeld Gajkowski, a graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said she is opposed to the lottery. "Gambling is a sin, pure and simple," she said. "I don't think the state needs to sanction it. We don't need to use something immoral to pay for something good."

Bill Friday, former president of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said on www.nolotterync.com, "I oppose a state lottery because it preys on our most vulnerable citizens and puts the state in the gambling business."

Even though some people are still against a N.C. lottery, Perdue said she thinks that given a chance, North Carolinians would vote for a lottery. Therefore, the CCC is calling upon the North Carolina General Assembly to pass a bill that would allow us to vote.

Perdue asked for the support of all residents of North Carolina to take action. "North Carolinians need to let their constituents know that they want to vote on the lottery," said Perdue. "We are asking all citizens (of the press) to write to their legislators as well."

Perdue said that with the help of N.C. residents as well as help from the press, Perdue and the CCC hope to have the vote for a N.C. lottery on the November 2002 ballot.