Biography

Julie Baxter Payer has served as Chief Communications Officer for the Louisiana Legislature since March 2026, having served in the Louisiana Senate as Senior Attorney for the Senate Committee on Judiciary A prior to that.  She previously served as Chief of Staff in the office of the East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President, Deputy Secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs and Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of the Governor.  Prior to her career in law, Julie earned her Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism, and she earned her Juris Doctorate and Bachelor of Civil Law from Louisiana State University Law Center.  She reported as an award-winning journalist for radio and television for 13 years and has taught Media Law as an adjunct professor at the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication since 2007.