Jan Goldsmith is a Republican politician from San Diego, CA who currently serves as the San Diego City Attorney.

Education

He received his undergraduate degree from American University in Washington, DC and his law degree from the University of San Diego.

Political career

Formerly the mayor of Poway, CA, a city in northern San Diego County, Goldsmith represented that city and other northern suburbs as the representative of the the 75th Assembly district from 1992 until 1998. Upon being term limited from that job, Goldsmith made an unsuccessful bid for California State Treasurer, losing the primary to former Assembly speaker Curt Pringle who lost that election and now serves as mayor of Anaheim, CA. Following his loss, he became a San Diego county judge for 9 1/2 years before stepping down to run for City Attorney.

Legislative Accomplishments

According to Goldsmith in an interview he did with San Diego Magazine, his greatest legislative accomplishment had to do with juvenile justice. He chaired the Assembly subcommittee that put together a package of legislation that eventually became initiatives that the public got to vote on. He also felt foster care was another of his accomplishments. He was named legislator of the year for the Children’s Lobby. He carried the legislation that eliminated the bias against trans-racial adoption.

Ferrets

Goldsmith also became well known (and in some circles lampooned) as being the author of a bill that attempted to legalize ferrets as pets in California. California is the only state where ferrets are not legal pets and some people were being put in jail for having pet ferrets. However, the Department of Fish and Game was adamantly against it.

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