OKLAHOMA CITY — A year after Republicans swept into office across the country, many have their sights on what has long been a fiscal conservative's dream: the steep reduction or even outright elimination of state income taxes.
The idea is gaining broader support, despite the fact that it would mean a total rewiring of tax systems at a time when most states are still struggling. And it's not clear how states would make up for the lost revenue.
Efforts are already under way in Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma and South Carolina.
Nine states get by without an income tax, mostly by tapping other sources of revenue. But in the rest of the country, income taxes pay for everything from roads and bridges to schools and prison systems.
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