A legislative freshman’s unique viewpoint

Democratic state Rep. Seth Carson of Albany County brings a fresh perspective to the Wyoming legislature. The 30-year-old engineer was elected in November 2008, and just completed his second year in the Republican-controlled legislature.

Lauren Furtney with the Cowboy State Free Press sat down with Carson in the final days of the 2010 legislative session to get his take on the state’s political process.

Furtney: Why did you want to run for the Wyoming House of Representatives?

Carson: “When I was little I had cancer and this community (Laramie) came together and they ran a race for me and helped me raise money when I was 11 years old. So part of why I do this is that I feel indebted to the city and community of Laramie, and so I gotta do this public service to kinda pay them back.

“But I also sort of have this perspective that you can’t sit on the couch and bitch about politics or complain about it and not do anything and not write your congressmen, or senator. … It’s easier for me to just go do it and have peace of mind and be confident the way I vote, and be consistent.”

Furtney: What has it been like being a “newbie” to the legislative process?

Carson: “I have a little bit of an advantage because I got to serve on the city council in Laramie for four years, so I learned the syntax and meeting decorum.”

“And you know, you struggle with some stuff at night, you know, you’re like ‘I really don’t know how to think about this, I’ve never had to think about this in my life,’ and maybe some of the older folks that have been doing this a long time and have more life experience–I’m a single 30-year-old. I don’t have a lot of experience.”

Furtney: Has your relatively young age been a problem in the legislature?

Carson: I’ve never felt discriminated against for being young or ambitious. … We all treat each other the same. … I look up to the older folks. … Most of these legislators have had more than one life. … These are very unique individuals in society. There’s a reason these people are here.”

Furtney: What issues are you especially passionate about?

Carson: “During the first session I talked obsessively about wind energy…and I talked about it and talked about it and finally the good Speaker said we’ll cosponsor a budget and create this (wind energy) task force.

“I really like the task force…it’s a fun topic. …I happen to think that the wind industry has way more pros than cons. This (wind) is an energy source for the future.”

Furtney: What areas do you feel you need to work on to be an effective lawmaker?

Carson: “I’m an engineer. … This (wind energy) is a technical project that’s tangible. … It’s harder for me to kind of comprehend some of these social issues. … They’re more challenging for me to get my hands around. … I’m kind of more of a project politician. … It’s hard to figure that stuff out. … Really, what is the best punishment for this sort of crime?”

Furtney: Can you describe the legislative learning curve?

Carson: “There’s the process and then there’s the politics. … I had a head-start on the process…but to me I think partisanship is really holding us up, even in the state and federally so.”

“But just learning how things get done, who to talk to, what buttons to push, who you go talk to first, things not to do. …” You’ve gotta get 40 votes for introduction. I got one bill that I presented this year and I got 40 votes. Everyone that I talked to voted for it and everyone that I didn’t, didn’t. Because they didn’t understand the bill. You’ve got to convey your idea.”

Furtney: How did you cope with the learning curve?

Carson: “I like people. I’m an extrovert. I gotta get up and move around. When you’re up moving around and talking to people, you often get their support. … I do better at the one-on-one than I do at the podium. How do I get everything in my brain out in 30 seconds and have it come out right?”

Furtney: Why do you believe you are the best person to represent the 45th district?

Carson: “I think a lot of the people live in Laramie to enjoy the environment, that they go to the mountains, go to Vedauwoo. They’re there because they want to go experience the outdoors and I try to have that resonate through some of my political stuff. … It’s a trick because we have this beautiful resource and then we have these resources. It’s a conflict: what do we drill? what do we dig? what do we burn? at the sacrifice of the snow and the Tetons. I think I can kind of bring that perspective.”

Furtney: Will you run for re-election, and why or why not?

Carson: “If I do decide to run again, just bringing Wyoming into the science-based environmental mindset without clashing with our culture of independence. … ” (to) open minds a little bit…that’s the stuff I try to focus on–that’s what’s fun about being a younger legislator. … It’s gonna be my kids someday and they’re gonna have to live with the consequences of what we do. A lot of these people (legislators) are retired and their kids are grown up and maybe moved out of state. … I’m sort of preparing for the future of the state that they (his children) still want to live in, and I still want to live here.”