Colorado Inside Out
As Colorado Public Television’s flagship public affairs program, this series presents a thought-provoking and in-depth weekly analysis of Colorado current affairs by a panel of highly-informed journalists, activists and professional pundits.
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Episodes

Jun 5, 2026
Jun 5, 2026
30 min
This week on Colorado Inside Out: a pair of gubernatorial debates put Colorado's political future on center stage, Tina Peters is back in the headlines following her early release from prison, and with ballots arriving in the mail next week, the Insiders examine why voter turnout remains such a challenge in primary elections.

May 28, 2026
May 28, 2026
31 min
With just one month until Colorado’s primary, campaigns are in the final sprint — ads are up, debates are heating up, and races are shifting. On Colorado Inside Out this week, we have some varying perspectives into the different candidates who are in the spotlight. And, we’re also looking at youth mental health and safety concerns, new questions around national park access and fees, and growing pressure on Colorado’s infrastructure as travel surges through DIA.

May 22, 2026
May 22, 2026
31 min
This episode of Colorado Inside Out covers Governor Polis’ sentence commutation of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters and the debate over that decision, along with its potential electoral consequences as Colorado’s primary approaches next month. The Insiders also discuss a Colorado Supreme Court ruling involving Children’s Hospital Colorado, placing the hospital between state civil rights obligations and federal pressure over transgender care for minors. They also weigh in on two metro area city council actions — on data center construction and new rules governing police communications with the public.

May 14, 2026
May 14, 2026
29 min
On this week's Colorado Inside Out, our panel reviews the end of Colorado’s legislative session, highlighting the balanced budget and other key bills awaiting Governor Polis’ action. The Insiders also discuss proposals that failed to advance and rate Polis’ final session under the Gold Dome. The conversation turns to the emerging governor’s race, with Colorado’s primary approaching June 30. Finally, the Insiders weigh-in on renewed concerns at Suncor Energy’s refinery after another power-related incident raised safety questions, despite assurances that air quality was unaffected.

May 7, 2026
May 7, 2026
28 min
Denver’s push to land a future Democratic National Convention faced an unexpected test this week as a spring snowstorm stole the spotlight and renewed questions about how the city compares to the Denver of 2008. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration is challenging both Denver and Colorado gun laws in court, lawmakers are racing through the final days of the legislative session, and a new Supreme Court ruling on voting rights is fueling fresh debate over redistricting and election protections.

Apr 30, 2026
Apr 30, 2026
27 min
For May 1st Colorado Inside Out, the Insiders covered rising political security concerns in Colorado, ongoing legislative work after the state budget’s passage, challenges and proposed changes at RTD, and uncertainty around the state’s AI law, before ending on Denver’s pitch to host a future Democratic National Convention.

Apr 24, 2026
Apr 24, 2026
29 min
The legislative session is in its final stretch — and the pressure is on. The Colorado GOP wants a judge to block primary ballots from unaffiliated voters. A Colorado case heads to the Supreme Court over Catholic preschools and public funding. And marijuana is slowing down just as psychedelics are heating up. The panel breaks it all down.

Apr 16, 2026

Apr 9, 2026
Apr 9, 2026
32 min
A rare bipartisan moment — or just good politics? The Colorado GOP gathers in Pueblo with a lot to prove. Primary candidates are skipping forums in front of Black and Muslim voters — and people are noticing. Plus: nearly 14,000 Colorado kids are stuck on a childcare waitlist. How did it get this bad, this fast? The insider panel doesn't hold back. You won't want to miss this one.

Apr 2, 2026
Apr 2, 2026
30 min
This week on Colorado Inside Out, the panel dives into the federal push to reshape mail-in voting and a new legal twist in the Tina Peters case. They also break down Colorado’s evolving primary landscape, ahead of the state primary in June. At the state Capitol, lawmakers draft a state budget amidst the $1.5 billion shortfall grapple, and the rising cost of Medicaid. The conversation turns to the Supreme Court, where another Colorado law is struck down on free speech grounds.

