Representative Julie Emerson

Julie Emerson was born and raised in Louisiana and grew up in Carencro where she still resides. Educated locally, Julie graduated from Westminster Christian Academy in Opelousas and received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She went on to earn a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Carolina.

After college, Julie founded Lagniappe Communications Group, a communications and public relations firm where she serves as chief strategist. In her role with Lagniappe, she has consulted with multiple public officials, non-profits, and businesses on how to best develop and articulate their brands and messages.

In October 2015, Julie was elected to serve as the State Representative for House District 39 representing northern Lafayette Parish and southern St Landry Parish.  At only 27 years old when first taking office, Julie Emerson, was the youngest member of the state Legislature and the youngest Republican female ever to win a legislative seat. Julie has sponsored several Legislative Bills on Education, HB 676– This “Free the Transcript” bill is a key priority of 1A’s 55 by 25 educational attainment initiative this year. It would mitigate a major barrier for adult learners to return to school by prohibiting postsecondary institutions from withholding their academic transcript due to outstanding debt with the institution. This bill has become even more critical, as workers who have lost their jobs during the COVID-19 public health emergency may need to return to school to reskill or upskill to qualify for a different or better job. She also has sponsored HB421,which authorizes public school governing authorities to establish learning pods for the purpose of providing small group instruction for students enrolled in public schools.