OKLAHOMA CITY (January 30, 2012)--A year after Republicans swept into office across the country, many have set their sights on what has long been a fiscal conservative's dream--a steep reduction or even the outright elimination of state income taxes.

The idea is gaining broader support, although 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 underway in Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma and South Carolina.

Nine states including Texas 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.