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Staff Snapshots | Julie Bracken

September 19, 2024
  • Hometown: Austin, Texas
  • Role: Proofreading manager for the Texas Legislative Council
  • Years of legislative service: 26

“I have a number of friends who, in middle age, have begun pursuing or rededicating themselves to various creative endeavors, and it’s thrilling and energizing to watch them go.”

Julie Bracken Texas
Bracken

Why did you choose to work at the Legislature?

I kind of fell into it; I was working in a convenience store when a friend of a friend told me there would be some proofreading positions opening up for the upcoming legislative session. I aced the spelling test and got the job. Once I was in, I knew I had found my people and my place. The intensity and unpredictability of the legislative sessions forge a unique camaraderie and supportive environment that I am proud to help foster now that I’m in a leadership position.

What skill or talent are you most proud of?

I can smoke a pretty good pork shoulder, and I’ll throw some tofu burnt ends into the smoker for the vegetarians, too.

What’s the best advice you were ever given?

My step-grandfather, Herby, came up to me at a family gathering, clapped me on the shoulder, and said, “Just always remember to enjoy.” I looked at him for clarification or further instructions and he smiled and said, “That’s it. Enjoy.” Sounds good to me!

Who or what inspires you?

I have a number of friends who, in middle age, have begun pursuing or rededicating themselves to various creative endeavors, and it’s thrilling and energizing to watch them go.

What’s one thing you love about your state or territory?

The diversity—of the landscape, the culture, the people and the food.

What are you currently reading/listening to/watching?

Reading: Just finished “This Thing Between Us,” by Gus Moreno, a contemporary horror novel; and “City Limits,” by Megan Kimble, an exploration of transportation policy and urban highway expansion in Texas.

Listening to: Mdou Moctar’s “Funeral for Justice,” incredible Tuareg guitar rock; Sinead O’Connor’s “The Lion and the Cobra”; and “The Texas Take,” a podcast that covers Texas politics with a statehouse focus.

Watching: “Shogun”; “The Bear.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Use the email icon above to suggest a legislative staffer for the “Staff Snapshots” series.

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