House Majority Leader Rep. Al Carlson, R-Fargo leans over his desk momentarily, waving a hand over a few stacks of papers.

“I’m a pretty orderly guy,” he said. “This is as messy as you’ll ever see it.”

The stacks are small and neat, organizing several thoughts into ideas that can be picked up and sorted through quickly before moving on to the next problem to be solved.

“From seven o’clock in the morning to seven o’clock at night there’s somebody that needs something, and that’s my job,” he said. “And I like that because I can organize that and help them make decisions.”

For Carlson, a teacher by training and a builder by trade, the legislative work is a good fit. He likes working with people, he’s used to the quick pace and he’s interested in the process. “My history background made me enjoy the political scene,” he said, explaining that he used to teach junior high history, social studies and geography.

That was before he and his wife, Sharon started their general contracting business, Carlson Construction, Inc.

“My wife and I have owned the construction business for the last 29 years, and we have built over 400 houses in the city of Fargo,” Carlson said. “We have built schools and banks and dental clinics and hotels. We have built almost anything that you could build with wood.”

One of his most memorable projects was a condominium in the Renaissance Zone of Fargo. Carlson said he designed the units so that people buying them could move walls around and personalize them the way they wanted to. In the end, every unit was built to suit the unique preferences of the owners.

“When you build houses for people, you build their dreams,” Carlson said. “It’s taking something that they envision as something they want and turning it from a drawing into a reality. It’s probably the greatest satisfaction any builder can get.”

There are some similarities between the work Carlson does as a builder and the work he does as House Majority Leader. He said it’s just as important to keep people on schedule in either job.

“You have deadlines, and you have to get things done,” he said. “It’s the right kind of a job for me, being the majority leader, because I’m used to working with deadlines and people and trying to get things done on time and on budget.”

It’s a big job for anyone. Carlson said part of his responsibility was to organize the process so that the state’s $7.7 billion budget and 1000 plus bills can be reconciled within the 80 days the Legislature is limited to.

Carlson is careful about the decisions he makes. His first preference is to gather all the information he can. Once a decision is made, he pushes the idea along until it becomes a finished product.

“People are looking for a decision, but they want a wellfounded decision,” he said. “The first thing you do is you surround yourself with really good people and that’s what this Legislature is all about. There are some very talented people out here and the Leader needs to be very careful to listen to those people.”

Snow removal and flooding disasters added to the problems the Legislature worked to solve this session.

Carlson said one of the reasons the government exists is to help out in times of disaster. Arranging laws so that cities and counties could have funding to fix their roads was like adding tools to their toolboxes.

“When we’re gone that disaster doesn’t go away,” he said. “We need to leave mechanisms in place so that when they need to fix that road they’ve got some way to pay for that road.”

The federal stimulus package also had to be worked into budget bills. According to Carlson, one of the most challenging aspects of that was not to overburden the citizens with government. He said it was important for lawmakers to focus on providing things that people in the private sector couldn’t provide for themselves.

“State government is probably the finest level to serve at because you’re closer to the people,” he said. “You’re closer to hearing what they want you to do and what kind of programs can actually help them.”

As a business owner, the help Carlson gives could be in the form of some seasoned advice. Besides making sure the proper funding is lined up, he said business owners are most successful when they don’t diversify too quickly.

“Never forget one most important thing,” he said. “Don’t forget what you do best.” Is this the full quote? I’m not sure what he means by the first line – it doesn’t read right.

Although there are similarities between legislative work and construction work, there’s a big difference in the work setting. During the last weeks of the Legislature, Carlson was already anticipating getting back on the construction site. Besides getting back to his wife, three children and seven grandchildren, it meant he would be working outdoors again.

“It’s a real challenge for me to spend four months in committee meetings inside the building,” he said. “I’m an outside guy.”
Story by GWEN BRISTOL