Oregon Buying Itself a Gift Card?

giftcard.jpg 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.