A new free market think tank has officially launched in Montana. Frontier Institute President and CEO Kendall Cotton joined us on Tuesday's Montana Talks radio show.

We covered everything from mail in voting, to coal markets, hospital capacity, and contract tracing efforts for COVID-19. Check out our full audio below.

The Frontier Institute describes themselves as an organization that "elevates objective research and powerful stories to cultivate informed civic leaders dedicated to breaking down government barriers so that all Montanans can thrive."

Cotton told us about a recent poll concerning COVID-19 contact tracing efforts in Montana. The poll was commissioned by the Frontier Institute. According to Cotton, the poll showed that 65% of Montanans are "willing to cooperate with contact tracing efforts, with half of respondents expressing concern about sharing their private information with public health officials."

What was one of the most interesting takeaways, from Cotton's perspective?

Montana’s economic recovery during this pandemic depends on the success of public health efforts, but a lot of people won’t cooperate because they fear for their privacy. Legislation to protect privacy rights could be an effective tool for policymakers to increase cooperation with contact tracing and boost Montana’s economy.

Listen to our full conversation below:

 

By the way, you can also listen to our conversation with Kendall Cotton on our "Montana Talks with Aaron Flint podcast" page.

You'll also find some of our other latest conversations, including:

The former White House press secretary gives his take on the state of the news media, his experience before the reporters, and talks about his new book.
The deputy White House secretary talked about Biden with the media, the treatment of Hunter Biden compared to the Russia hoax against Trump, and the Amy Coney Barrett hearing.

 

Here are some tips for self-care during the pandemic:

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