RALEIGH, N.C. - Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue drew in with permanent marker Tuesday an outline of part of her 2012 re-election campaign strategy, announcing her budget proposal would seek to raise taxes in North Carolina to restore public education cuts she's blamed on Republicans at the Legislature.

Perdue said her spending proposal for the year starting July 1 will call for a temporary sales tax increase of three-quarters of a penny, whose revenues would be dedicated to public education. That would raise the sales tax consumer in most counties pay from 6.75 percent to 7.5 percent.

"Education is the key to our children's future and to North Carolina's economic future," Perdue said in a statement. "Investing in education is central to our ability to attract new jobs and businesses to our state. We owe it to our children and our state to stop these cuts and make education a priority again - a fraction of a penny for progress."

Republicans immediately panned the idea, calling it another tax increase from Perdue.