Gas prices may have dipped slightly in the last week, but the February and March 2012 increases have Board of Equalization member George Runner looking for ways to keep gas costs down. He’s proposing that state gas taxes only apply to the first $4 of a gallon of gas.

According to statistics cited by Runner, California charges 67 cents per gallon in various taxes. While that isn’t causing gas prices to rise, it is contributing to the overall cost. Runner’s proposal would provide a measure of relief for motorists.

Should the hiatus be approved, it wouldn’t impact the Governor’s budget, and the state would still receive all the fuel revenue it was counting on.

From the Sacramento Bee:

Sacramento-area motorists got the tiniest of breaks at gas pumps over the past week, but they’ll likely take anything they can get after the past couple of months.

The average price of gas in the Sacramento area fell 0.8 cents to $4.25 a gallon over the past week, according to Monday’s weekly report by SactoGasPrices.com, a GasBuddy.com website.

It was the first time since Christmas that area prices declined over a week’s time.

Read the full article here.