Then why can I give you a gallon of milk that will expire within two weeks?

Let's say I give you a gift card.

And it's acceptable to both of us that it must be used within 3 months. Maybe I got a free toaster for buying a gift card with such a provision. Maybe I just recognize that if you haven't used it in three months, you are almost certainly NEVER going to use it.

Is there any legitimate reason whatsoever for the government to meddle in such an arrangement?

As deputy attorney general for Arkansas, DePriest helped get consumer-protection legislation passed this year to impose restrictions on retailers who sell gift cards in Arkansas - including a requirement that the cards cannot expire within two years of being issued.