COLUMBUS - More than half of Ohio's $10.1 billion share of the national tobacco settlement should go toward building schools and paying for education technology, a task force recommended yesterday.

The Governor's Tobacco Task Force approved its recommendations 14-1, sending them on to the Legislature. But prosecutors of Ohio's largest counties said they might consider legal action to take what they believe is their fair share of the settlement.

The money is Ohio's portion of the states' $206 billion settlement with the major tobacco companies last year. Ohio's first two payments, totaling $443 million, are due in June or July.

State Rep. Jerry Krupinski, D-Steubenville, cast the only no vote.

"We had a significant vote here today, with significant bipartisan support,'' said Senate President Richard Finan, R-Cincinnati. "Obviously I believe this is a realistic, good allocation of tobacco task force money.''

The task force stuck with its previous proposal to create seven trust funds separate from the state's general fund to handle allocations from the settlement.

Three trust funds would address Ohio's public health needs and receive $4.3 billion or 43 percent of the total estimated revenue through 2025.

Two trust funds would pay for schools and education technology and would receive $5.5 billion or 55 percent of the revenue through 2025.

One trust fund would address law enforcement needs of the Attorney General's Office and would receive $25 million, or 0.25 percent of the revenue.

The seventh trust fund would pay for agricultural and community development in southern Ohio's tobacco-growing region. This fund would receive $229 million or 5 percent of the total estimated revenue through 2011. Twenty-two counties in Ohio produce tobacco.

Krupinski said he believes the task force overlooked the poor and disadvantaged people who were the basis for the state's lawsuit against tobacco companies to begin with.

Prosecutors from Cuyahoga, Franklin, Lucas, Montgomery and Summit counties have met with Finan and House Speaker Jo Ann Davidson, R-Reynoldsburg, to discuss counties receiving money for their uncompensated medical costs from smoking-related illnesses.

Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien said yesterday that counties had received up to 50 percent of the settlement money in other states. Ohio counties would consider suing tobacco companies for their fair share as a way of prying money loose from the existing state settlement, he said.

Davidson said she and Finan tried in their meeting with prosecutors "to explain that we felt, both directly and indirectly, their counties would benefit from the allocations and the recommendations of this task force.''