Nick Coltrain

Politics reporter

Nick Coltrain

Nick Coltrain covers state politics for the Denver Post. He joined the news organization in 2022 after covering the Iowa caucus and COVID-19 for the Des Moines Register and all things for the Fort Collins Coloradoan.

The Colorado State Capitol building photographed in Denver on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Capitol updates: Lawmakers target natural gas ballot initiative, face lawsuit threat over TABOR refund bill

May 9, 2026 at 9:09 a.m.

Colorado lawmakers are preparing to introduce legislation that would blunt a proposed ballot initiative giving residents the right to buy and sell natural gas

Sen. Janice Marchman attends a session in the Senate chamber of Colorado State Capitol building in Denver on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

State investment bill backed by ‘secret memo’ dies in committee

May 8, 2026 at 5:39 p.m.

A Colorado bill that would have allowed the state to invest enterprise fees and other public money in privately managed investment funds died Wednesday in a committee.

Colorado gubernatorial candidate U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet speaks with a crowd member after a forum hosted by the Colorado Young Democrats with Bennet and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 68 in Denver. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

Big money still backs Michael Bennet for governor, but Phil Weiser is outpacing him in direct contributions

June 11, 2026 at 9:43 a.m.

New campaign finance reports shed light on recent fundraising by and in support of candidates for state offices in this year's elections.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis delivers his final State of the State address in the House chamber at the Colorado State Capitol building in Denver on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. Polis used his final annual speech to highlight achievements made on housing, education and transportation, among other issues. Behind Polis is House Speaker Julie McCluskie. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Gov. Jared Polis signs laws banning 3D-printed guns, creating new overtime rules for ag workers

May 5, 2026 at 9:39 a.m.

Gun bill faced veto threat and overtime measure had more Republican support than Democratic.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, left, and Mark Ferrandino, the director of the Office of State Planning and Budgeting, answer questions from the media after Polis signed bills from a special legislative session and issued an order to close a budget deficit caused by the federal tax bill at the Governor's Residence at the Boettcher Mansion in Denver on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Gov. Jared Polis relies on 鈥榮uper-secret memo鈥� to back private investment bill in Colorado legislature

May 4, 2026 at 3:03 p.m.

鈥淚 do respect that people are concerned about the riskiness of this鈥� bill, Sen. Janice Marchman said. 鈥淚 also want to respect that sometimes we have to take risks to...

The Senate chamber inside the Colorado State Capitol building on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Rachel Woolf)

Artifical intelligence bill to get first committee hearing as 10-day clock starts in the Colorado legislature

May 4, 2026 at 12:35 p.m.

The state鈥檚 100 lawmakers have 10 days to finish their work for the year. That means the Capitol will be even more abuzz than usual as lawmakers scramble to pass...

The construction site of the Interstate 70 Floyd Hill project in the mountains, which is funded in part by a $100 million grant from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, near Evergreen, Colorado, on Tuesday. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Colorado lawmakers launch bid to undercut ‘irresponsible’ road funding mandate in Initiative 175

May 1, 2026 at 5:16 p.m.

鈥淲hat we cannot do is fill a pothole and close a hospital,鈥� said Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, a Fort Collins Democrat. 鈥淎nd that抖阴ap the situation that we will be faced with"...

A Flock Safety license plate recognition camera in use in Arvada, Colorado, on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

Police opposition kills Colorado lawmakers’ attempts to limit Flock cameras, data collection

April 30, 2026 at 6:00 a.m.

"We had no leverage because law enforcement knew ... the governor would veto a bill with anything in it they didn鈥檛 like,鈥� Sen. Judy Amabile said.

Cann seltzers are made with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) extracted from hemp. In Jan., the company launched one of its product lines, the Lo Boys, in more than 30 Colorado retail stores. And no, you don't have to go to a dispensary to buy them. (Provided by Marcy Chandler/Cann)

Colorado lawmakers yank bills reworking marijuana sales tax, allowing wider sales of more potent THC drinks

April 29, 2026 at 5:27 p.m.

A pair of bills that would have changed rules around marijuana and THC-infused drinks in Colorado died this week after the sponsors yanked them ahead of their first votes.

Sen. Lisa Frizell speaks in the Senate chamber during a special session at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver on Aug. 26, 2025. This spring, she won an amendment to the state budget that was then modified by the budget committee.(Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

State budget heads to Gov. Jared Polis after lawmakers wrestle with cuts to disability services

April 29, 2026 at 6:00 a.m.

鈥淭his has clearly been a lengthy and painful set of discussions about how we address our Medicaid budget,鈥� Rep. Emily Sirota said after the final vote Tuesday.

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