You know that giftcard you got for Christmas that's still sitting in your wallet? And there's, like, $4.38 on it, and you don't want to be wasteful, so you hang on to it, but really, who can remember they have a $4.38 credit every time they run in to Target?
Well, Oregon wants that $4.38.
Okay, only if you live in Oregon. And only if it's been three years. But state lawmakers are weighing a proposal that would turn unused gift card balances over to the state. The money would be set up in a trust in the cardholder's name, but the state would use the interest from the trust to help fund public schools.
So just think, Oregon shoppers -- every time you spend money off a gift card, you're essentially robbing the state of some public schools funding.
Or something.
Zach Patton -- Executive Editor. Zach has written about a range of topics, including social policy issues and urban planning and design. Originally from Tennessee, he joined GOVERNING as a staff writer in 2004. He received the 2011 Jesse H. Neal Award for Outstanding Journalism
E-mail: zpatton@governing.com 
Written and compiled by staff writers and editors, GOVERNING View is an on-the-ground, and sometimes behind-the-scenes, look at the topics we're covering in print and online. From notes on what's up in statehouses, county courthouses and city halls, to encounters with people, places and things, GOVERNING View is a window into the side of state and local government you don't always see.
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