Changes

Most of Ascension Parish falls within House District 59, located on the east bank of the [[Mississippi River]] and among the fastest-growing areas of the state. Former farmlands have become suburbia, with residents from Baton Rouge fleeing urban problems but still plagued by floods and hurricanes. Gonzales is a major retail center, with a large outlet mall nearby but outside the House district. Ascension Parish still has many working-class residents employed in construction and petrochemical plants, but the influence of [[organized labor]] there has declined in recent years. Suburban development has brought more middle-class residents who commute to administrative, government. and professional positions in Baton Rouge.<ref name=mlgs/>​

Most of Ascension Parish falls within House District 59, located on the east bank of the [[Mississippi River]] and among the fastest-growing areas of the state. Former farmlands have become suburbia, with residents from Baton Rouge fleeing urban problems but still plagued by floods and hurricanes. Gonzales is a major retail center, with a large outlet mall nearby but outside the House district. Ascension Parish still has many working-class residents employed in construction and petrochemical plants, but the influence of [[organized labor]] there has declined in recent years. Suburban development has brought more middle-class residents who commute to administrative, government. and professional positions in Baton Rouge.<ref name=mlgs/>​

Near the end of the 2011 legislative session, Lambert sponsored a successful bill which returned the Louisiana U.S. presidential [[primary]] date from February, when it was held in 2008, to March, the date in and prior to 2004. Lambert's Republican colleague, Alan Seabaugh of [[Shreveport]], said that without the measure, signed by Governor Jindal, Louisiana would have forfeited half of its delegates at the 2012 [[Republican National Convention]] held in [[Tampa]], [[Florida]]. None of the Louisiana Democratic delegates in 2012 would have been eligible to cast convention ballots at the conclave in [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], [[North Carolina]], unless the date were returned to March. The measure hence switches the date of the primary to the third Saturday after the first Tuesday in March. Lambert, who has sought to tighten drunk-driving laws,<ref name=mlgs/> attached a rider to the presidential primary bill which clarifies the drinking age for underage boaters on Louisiana waterways.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrkf.org/batonrouge&newsID=1633|author=Tegan Wendland|title=La.'s Presidential Primaries Pushed Back|date=June 30, 2011|publisher=wrkf.org|accessdate=July 16, 2011; no longer on-line}}</ref>​​

Near the end of the 2011 legislative session, Lambert sponsored a successful bill which returned the Louisiana U.S. presidential [[primary]] date from February, when it was held in 2008, to March, the date in and prior to 2004. Lambert's Republican House colleague, [[Alan Seabaugh]] of [[Shreveport]], said that without the measure, signed by Governor Jindal, Louisiana would have forfeited half of its delegates at the 2012 [[Republican National Convention]] held in [[Tampa]], [[Florida]]. None of the Louisiana Democratic delegates in 2012 would have been eligible to cast convention ballots at the conclave in [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], [[North Carolina]], unless the date were returned to March. The measure hence switches the date of the primary to the third Saturday after the first Tuesday in March. Lambert, who has sought to tighten drunk-driving laws,<ref name=mlgs/> attached a rider to the presidential primary bill which clarifies the drinking age for underage boaters on Louisiana waterways.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrkf.org/batonrouge&newsID=1633|author=Tegan Wendland|title=La.'s Presidential Primaries Pushed Back|date=June 30, 2011|publisher=wrkf.org|accessdate=July 16, 2011; no longer on-line}}</ref>​​

Lambert won a third House term in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 22, 2011. Since taking office in 2004, Lambert pushed for the four-laning  of Louisiana Highway 42 in Prairieville. The previous highway was two-laned and had open ditches on both sides of the roadway.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theadvocate.com/home/8129684-125/long-awaited-la-42-work|title=David J. Mitchell, Sewer, utility work for four-lane highway to begin next month|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|accessdate=January 21, 2014; no longer on-line}}</ref>​

Lambert won a third House term in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 22, 2011. Since taking office in 2004, Lambert pushed for the four-laning  of Louisiana Highway 42 in Prairieville. The previous highway was two-laned and had open ditches on both sides of the roadway.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theadvocate.com/home/8129684-125/long-awaited-la-42-work|title=David J. Mitchell, Sewer, utility work for four-lane highway to begin next month|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|accessdate=January 21, 2014; no longer on-line}}</ref>​