Montana residents often call their scenic and beautiful state “The Last Best Place.” It’s an expression that encapsulates the state’s limited urban development and vast wilderness. But while some people are thriving in one of America’s last frontiers, many are left behind.

That’s why life-long Montana resident Kendall Cotton launched the Frontier Institute in 2020. Frontier is a nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking down government barriers so that all Montanans can prosper. We sat down with Kendall to learn more about his background and how Frontier is helping improve the lives of Montana residents and their families.

SPN: Tell us about your background.

Kendall: I grew up in rural Montana, in community that built its economy around the logging industry and other natural resources. My dad was a logging mechanic and a business owner, so I saw firsthand just what entrepreneurship could look like, and how government can often get in the way.

After college, I worked for the Montana Insurance Commissioner as a policy advisor focusing on health policy. I helped with several different topics and initiatives, but the thing I’m most proud of is advancing Direct Primary Care (DPC).

DPC is a healthcare model where patients pay doctors directly for a defined set of primary care services. It cuts out the middleman (insurance) entirely. Montana had long been hostile to Direct Primary Care before our work. Former insurance commissioners had resisted DPC arrangements, and governors would veto or threaten to veto legislation that expanded DPC. The insurance commissioner I worked for tasked me with putting together an advisory memorandum to clarify the common misconception that DPC is a form of insurance. Because our office clarified that DPC was not a form of insurance, it allowed several new groups to get past previous roadblocks and provide people with quality healthcare. Directly because of this 2017 memo, eight new healthcare businesses have popped up in Montana, providing greater access to healthcare for the state’s residents.

SPN: How would you summarize your mission and vision for the Frontier Institute?

Kendall: Before we launched the Frontier Institute, no one was really working for free-market solutions in Montana, and a common theme throughout the state was this reliance on the government to solve problems. We saw an opportunity with the state’s new governor and new legislators to present an alternative to government solutions.

We knew these new policymakers needed intellectual ammunition to push back on this narrative that only the government can solve Montana’s problems. The Frontier Institute is providing that ammunition—through sound research and powerful stories—to help policymakers elevate good, free-market ideas and become champions of freedom. Our vision is that Montana experiences healthy economic growth so all Montana residents can thrive.

SPN: Where is the Frontier Institute making the biggest difference in people’s lives?

Kendall: You know, it’s funny, because we’ve only been around for six months, but our ideas are already having an impact.

Given my experience with promoting Direct Primary Care, I am excited for the Frontier Institute to work on similar healthcare issues. The DPC memo I worked on in 2017 means that as long as the Insurance Commissioner doesn’t view DPC as insurance, Montanans can access this type of healthcare model. But we want something more long-term. We’re already pursuing a partnership with the new Montana Insurance Commissioner and the governor to make the authorization of Direct Primary Care a permanent reform in The Treasure State.

Frontier helped write a DPC bill that is moving swiftly through the Montana Legislature. Part of why it’s moving so fast is because of the relationships we’ve built, including our relationship with the governor. The legislation is also gaining traction due to our previous education efforts to help Montana’s legislators better understand the benefits of DPC. If passed, it would be the most expansive DPC bill in the nation, allowing for all types of healthcare providers to contract with Montana patients and provide better access to care.

In addition to DPC, we are working on program similar to the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s “Conservative Texas Budget.” We put together a “Conservative Montana Budget” that we’ve been circulating around the state and sharing with lawmakers. A Conservative Montana Budget would put a maximum limit on spending growth based on taxpayers’ ability to fund it—instead of how much a politician wants to spend. Many city council members from across Montana have already reached out to thank us for the various op-eds we’ve been writing on fiscal restraint and lowering tax burdens for Montana families.

SPN: On that point, are you planning to work more with more local governments in Montana?

Kendall: Because we’re so new, right now we’re focused on the state level. But, as I mentioned, our ideas are taking hold everywhere, and some city council members have reached out to us. The same principles we want to bring to the state government apply to government at all levels: implementing fiscal restraint, expanding economic opportunity, and empowering individuals.

In the future, our efforts will be even more local. We plan to work with city councils to help them understand where high tax burdens come from and what they can do to make responsible spending decisions so those burdens are lowered.

SPN: How have other groups within the Network helped you?

Kendall: I’ve talked with a lot of other CEOs in the Network, and it’s been wonderful. They’re willing to share success stories and the lessons they’ve learned from managing their organizations. This is all new to me, so having the experience of other leaders in the Network is immeasurably beneficial.

SPN: How has SPN helped you in your career?

Kendall: When I first thought of the need for an active free-market think tank in Montana, I went with my proposal to SPN’s Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs. One of the people I spoke with was Madison Ray, SPN’s Director of Strategic Engagement, and we stayed in touch from Annual Meeting on.

SPN has been incredibly helpful at offering guidance, support, and fine tuning our proposals. SPN has also helped us understand how to establish a strong foundation at the outset, while ensuring our ability to grow down the line. We would not be here today without SPN.

Check out the work of the Frontier Institute here, and follow Kendall on Twitter at @Cotton_MT.