(RALEIGH) -- Gov. Bev Perdue is offering up another option to state lawmakers to fund education. On Thursday, as she was surrounded by school children on the steps of the State Capitol, she said she wants the legislature to regulate and tax sweepstakes games, since eradicating them has proven difficult.

"As long as they're here, until we can outlaw them and until somehow the courts allow them to be outlawed forever, we need to tax the heck out of them and regulate them, regulate them hard and tax the heck out of them," said Perdue.

The Governor said she is only offering this as an option because the Republican General Assembly refused her proposal for a three-quarters of a cent "temporary" sales tax.

As far as how much money a tax on video sweepstakes games would generate, Perdue would not answer that question. She also did not provide specific guidance on who would put the regulations in place.