Jepsen and Rowthorn Lead on Opiods with WSJ Op-ed.

Former Attorney General George Jepsen and Perry Zinn Rowthorn, Jepsen’s deputy for six years, make the case in today’s Wall Street Journal for state attorneys general to lead litigation against opioid manufacturers and others in the deadly chain of distribution. The op-ed provides a reminder of the influence Connecticut lost among busy and far-flung attorneys general when Jepsen announced last year he would not seek a third term. The opinion piece makes the case for consolidating public interest litigation in chief legal officers of the states, blocking scores of municipal suits.

The popular Democrat rose in the ranks of his colleagues in their partisan and bipartisan associations. Jepsen was an active fundraiser for some of them, tapping into Connecticut donors who were limited in what they could contribute to him.

The WSJ piece will serve as an unhappy reminder that Jepsen’s successor, William “Tahoe” Tong, will struggle to exercise the influence Jepsen began to enjoy soon after taking office in 2011.