Changes

==Legislative service==

==Legislative service==

​On February 1, 1972, Bares was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives. He was unopposed in 1975 in the state's first ever nonpartisan blanket primary. In 1979, he was elevated to the state Senate for the District 23 seat (Lafayette and Acadia parishes) vacated by Edgar G. "Sonny" Mouton, Jr., of Lafayette, who instead ran unsuccessfully for governor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5hLUNchJy|title=Membership in the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1880–2008 (p. 84)|publisher=David R. Poynter Legislative Research Library accessdate=August 20, 2008}}</ref> In that campaign, under the nonpartisan blanket primary, Bares defeated Democrat Pat Juneau, 54 to 46 percent in the general election,<ref>[[Ron Gomez]], ''My Name Is Ron, And I Am a Recovering Legislator: Memoirs of a Louisiana State Representative,'' ([[Lafayette]], [[Louisiana]]: Zemog Publishers, 2000), p. 37; ISBN 0-9700156-0-7</ref> popularly called the runoff. Eliminated in the primary was [[Dud Lastrapes]], a Republican who became the [[mayor]] of Lafayette the following year. Bares served in the Senate for twelve years until he was unseated in the 1991 [[general election]] by the Republican J. Lomax Jordan, Jr., also a Lafayette attorney. The seat was subsequently held by the Republicans Michael J. Michot and Page Cortez.​

​On February 1, 1972, Bares was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives. He was unopposed in 1975 in the state's first ever nonpartisan blanket primary. In 1979, he was elevated to the state Senate for the District 23 seat (Lafayette and Acadia parishes) vacated by Edgar G. "Sonny" Mouton, Jr., of Lafayette, who instead ran unsuccessfully for governor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5hLUNchJy|title=Membership in the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1880–2008 (p. 84)|publisher=David R. Poynter Legislative Research Library accessdate=August 20, 2008}}</ref> In that campaign, under the nonpartisan blanket primary, Bares defeated Democrat Pat Juneau, 54 to 46 percent in the general election,<ref>[[Ron Gomez]], ''My Name Is Ron, And I Am a Recovering Legislator: Memoirs of a Louisiana State Representative,'' ([[Lafayette]], [[Louisiana]]: Zemog Publishers, 2000), p. 37; ISBN 0-9700156-0-7</ref> popularly called the runoff. Eliminated in the primary was [[Dud Lastrapes]], a Republican who became the [[mayor]] of Lafayette the following year. Bares served in the Senate for twelve years until he was unseated in the 1991 [[general election]] by the Republican [[J. Lomax Jordan]], Jr., also a Lafayette attorney. The seat was subsequently held by the Republicans [[Michael J. Michot]] and [[Page Cortez]].​

Roemer selected Bares as Senate President in 1988 though Sydney B. Nelson of [[Shreveport]] had actively sought the position and had urged Bares to run for the lesser position of Senate pro-tem. In Louisiana, the Senate president is normally chosen by the governor, but legislators in 1990 returned Nunez to the presidency in a slap at Roemer. The resolution to replace Bares with Nunez, authored by later [[U.S. Representative]] [[William J. Jefferson]] of Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, was twenty-eight to twenty-one. Roemer referred to the removal of Bares as an example of "what's wrong with this state."<ref>"Bares ousted as President of Louisiana Senate," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' May 10, 1990, p. 1.</ref>​

Roemer selected Bares as Senate President in 1988 though Sydney B. Nelson of [[Shreveport]] had actively sought the position and had urged Bares to run for the lesser position of Senate pro-tem. In Louisiana, the Senate president is normally chosen by the governor, but legislators in 1990 returned Nunez to the presidency in a slap at Roemer. The resolution to replace Bares with Nunez, authored by later [[U.S. Representative]] [[William J. Jefferson]] of Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, was twenty-eight to twenty-one. Roemer referred to the removal of Bares as an example of "what's wrong with this state."<ref>"Bares ousted as President of Louisiana Senate," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' May 10, 1990, p. 1.</ref>​

A reformer in the legislature, Bares served as national vice president of the Education Commission of the States from 1985 to 1986. He championed tort reform and was a lead author of the 1987 Workman's Compensation Reform Act. Bares was president of the Louisiana Chapter of the Association of French Speaking Legislators and a supporter of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL). In 1991, the nation of [[France]] awarded Bares the Medal of Merit to recognize his efforts to preserve the French language and culture in Louisiana.<ref name=obit/> He grew up speaking French and did not learn [[English]] until he entered elementary school. On two occasions, Bares, as a state senator, accompanied Governor Roemer on trips to France and to [[Japan]].<ref name=am/>​

A reformer in the legislature, Bares served as national vice president of the Education Commission of the States from 1985 to 1986. He championed tort reform and was a lead author of the 1987 Workman's Compensation Reform Act. Bares was president of the Louisiana Chapter of the Association of French Speaking Legislators and a supporter of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL). In 1991, the nation of [[France]] awarded Bares the Medal of Merit to recognize his efforts to preserve the French language and culture in Louisiana.<ref name=obit/> He grew up speaking French and did not learn [[English]] until he entered elementary school. On two occasions, Bares, as a state senator, accompanied Governor Roemer on trips to France and to [[Japan]].<ref name=am/>​

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==Civic leadership==

==Civic leadership==

Bares was active in Kiwanis International, the Lafayette [[Chamber of Commerce]], and St. Pius X [[Roman Catholic]] Church. He was the first elected president of Our Lady of Fatima Church. He was president of the Evangeline Area Boy Scouts Council located in Lafayette. He received the Silver Beaver Award from the Scouts in 2000. He was an avid [[horse]]man, [[hunter]], [[Fishing|fisherman]], and [[golf]]er.<ref name=obit/>​

Bares was active in Kiwanis International, the Lafayette [[Chamber of Commerce]], and St. Pius X [[Roman Catholic]] Church. He was the first elected president of Our Lady of Fatima Church. He was president of the Evangeline Area Boy Scouts Council located in Lafayette. He received the Silver Beaver Award from the Scouts in 2000. He was an avid [[horse]]man, [[hunter]], [[Fishing|fisherman]], and [[golf]]er.<ref name=obit/>​