Rep. Julia Hurley's initials are seen carved into her desk in the House chamber in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Remember that time that you got really bored in class and carved your initials into the desk? Well, it turns out that’s not such a good idea if you are a member of the government. And if the desk is in the state House chamber.
On Monday, Republican Rep. Julia Hurley, 29, of Tennessee confirmed to the Knoxville News Sentinel that late one night in May she decided to make her name a more permanent presence in the House chamber.“It was like 1 in the morning on the last day of the session,” she said. “I wasn’t thinking straight.” She insists that she doesn’t remember what utensil she used to do the deed.
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Hurley, who represents all of Roane County and part of its Loudon County, was elected this past November, ousting a Democratic incumbent. This is not the first time that she’s gained national press for her behavior. In February, she made waves by expressing that her success in politics and business stemmed from her time working at Hooters restaurants. In an article for Hooters Magazine she wrote, “I have taken quite a bit of flack from the public at large during my run for State House in Tennessee for being a Hooters Girl. But I know that without that time in my life I would not be as strong-willed and eager to become successful.” She added, “If I could make it at Hooters, I could make it anywhere.”
To make it in the House Hurley’s now going to have to dig into her own pockets. House Speaker Beth Harwell, said on Tuesday that Hurley will have to pay for the desk to be fixed up. “In the excitement of being a freshman at the end of session, Representative Hurley etched her initials into her desk,” Harwell told the AP. “As with any state property, we will take action to have the desk restored and I’m sure Representative Hurley will be more than happy to compensate the state to make the repairs.”
Yesterday, Hurley wrote on her Facebook page—where she also posted a picture of the carving—”So many people were being stopped from doing their jobs by the press today, to ask questions about the desk issue, that I have taken my laptop with me to a secure location to do my job today.” It seems she might not be the only one who’s had some late night fun—a Nashville television station noted that other desks in the chamber have also been marked, with everything from initials to dollar signs.
Newsfeed thinks we should cut (or carve…) Hurley some slack. After all, she’s only a freshman.
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Zara Kessler is a TIME contributor. Find her on Twitter at @zarafk. You can also continue the discussion on TIME‘s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.