COLUMBUS - House Republicans said they expected to decide today on exactly how to raise the revenue needed to come up with a balanced state spending plan.

''We're continuing to go through what the impact of our cuts would be and discussing whether there's support in the caucus for them, reserving judgment again until we start hearing from some folks who really have a detailed understanding of how the impact will be felt,'' said Rep. Jon Peterson, a Republican from Delaware.

House Republicans met Sunday but couldn't agree on whether to further cut spending from Gov. Bob Taft's $49 billion budget proposal, raise new revenue or use a combination of the two to plug the deficit.

The main idea being considered remained a temporary 1-cent sales tax increase that allows voters to choose whether to replace it in the second year of the budget by approving video lottery terminals at race tracks.

The sales tax increase would raise about $1.2 billion per year, while estimates show that revenue from the slot machines could raise $400 million to $900 million a year.

The House Finance Committee heard testimony Sunday from local government officials and others whose agencies would be hurt by cuts.

No caucus meetings among House Republicans or Democrats - where the final decisions likely will be made - were scheduled for Sunday, leaders of both parties said.

The current version of the budget bill would reduce spending that Taft recommended by $1.8 billion, of which more than $1 billion was proposed for education. They say a total of $3 billion is needed to balance the budget.

House Speaker Larry Householder, a Republican from Glenford, wants the finance committee to approve a bill by Tuesday so the full House can vote on it and send it to the Senate on Wednesday. The budget goes into effect July 1.

The finance committee planned to amend its budget on Monday. One change would include restoring Medicaid coverage for dental, vision and podiatry services for 800,000 poor Ohio adults. The measure, designed to save $46 million, had been part of Taft's larger Medicaid reform, which the House supports.

Several Republicans in private meetings with Householder were supporting further cuts, but said that the local government fund, which funnels state money to libraries, villages and cities likely wouldn't be cut.

An early proposal that had called for cutting $1.4 billion was losing support after a wave of criticism followed it.