SPRINGFIELD — An effort to repeal the 66 percent Illinois income tax increase approved earlier this failed in a Senate subcommittee Wednesday.

Sen. Matt Murphy, R-Palatine, sponsored the measure, which was defeated 2-1 in a subcommittee where Democrats had the majority.

The state income tax went from 3 percent to 5 percent — an increase of 66 percent — in January.

The brief committee debate pitted Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, who contended that repeal would mean legislators would have to cut an additional $7.2 billion from the budget, versus Murphy, who called the tax increase "a job-killer."

"You would not need to cut $11 billion. The number would not be that high," said Murphy, who later suggested that undoing the tax increase would require $8 billion to $9 billion in budget cuts next year.

"I have never tried to suggest that that would be easy or pain-free, or that it’s all fat and waste, because it’s not," he said. "Some of it is programs that people have come to rely on to a certain extent. I recognize that. But I think everyone also recognizes that that there needs to be a fundamental reordering of state government if we’re going to operate within the means that the people of the state can afford."

Murphy said he doesn’t believe there is "a willingness to do that" among legislators, although Senate Republicans say they’ll unveil $4 billion to $6 billion in budget cuts later this week.

"The concept that we intend to come out with is to begin a dialogue with the other side of the aisle," said the suburban Republican. "We understand that cutting spending is tough. We don’t relish it either. We know it’s hard for your side of the aisle too. But we also understand that there’s no way around it unless there’s another large tax increase on top of the one that just passed, to avoid the $22 billion hole (that the GOP contends awaits in five years)."