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Many Colorado homes and power grids aren’t ready for more electric vehicle charging. Here’s what experts say needs to be done.

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Many Colorado homes and power grids aren’t ready for more electric vehicle charging. Here’s what experts say needs to be done.


With hundreds of thousands more electric vehicles expected on Colorado highways in the next few years, CBS News Colorado has learned many power grids aren’t yet ready to handle the added power demands to charge those vehicles. 

One expert tells us upgrading power grids in time for the state’s goal of 940,000 electric vehicles by 2030 will be “challenging, to say the least.”

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An electric vehicle charging sign in a parking lot in Westminster

Kati Weis, CBS News Colorado

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Electrician Rory Berumen, who is also the Executive Director of the National Electrical Contractor’s Association’s Rocky Mountain Chapter, has a front-row seat to long-term planning conversations to update Colorado’s electric infrastructure to meet the needs of more EVs charging in homes and businesses. 

“To make sure we can perform all these works with the deadlines that have been provided, it’s going to be challenging, to say the least, and there’s going to be a lot of work that’s going to need to take place to ensure that we can do that,” he said. “So, I think some of the goals are very lofty… we’re in meetings, and they’re very contested from both sides through there, but I know at least from our standpoint, we’re just trying to make sure we’ve got properly trained people in place that can do the work.”

He says right now, many of Colorado’s older electric grids aren’t built to handle the power demands of EV charging, so hypothetically, if suddenly everyone in one of those neighborhoods had an EV charging at once, that could cause black outs. 

Or, he says, a more likely possibility would be that the demand might eventually cause some customers to have to sacrifice other electric luxuries.

“You can have outages,” Berumen said. “Or it’s called a brown out, like you read like in California where they’re putting right now these meters up on all the homes where people can’t turn on the air conditioning at certain times, it’ll be the same thing.”

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But with many drivers on wait lists for some EVs and many other drivers worried about the potential mileage range these vehicles can offer, not everyone will be switching to electric overnight. Berumen says those factors will help buy some time for power companies to make changes before black or brown outs become a problem. 

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Rory Berumen speaks to CBS News Colorado

Kati Weis, CBS News Colorado


However, he says supply chain and manpower challenges will still create big obstacles for critical grid improvements. 

“I’ve got to tell you to make sure right now (there’s a need to secure more) transformers. You can’t get enough transformers. Some of them are on two year waits, so, they can build them right now, but if we can’t get all the parts, all the equipment and everything to put them in, it’s going to create some lag time,” Berumen said. “I think those are two big issues. It’s going to be supply chain demand, and it’s going to be manpower shortages that are going to really hold us up if we can make these dates or not.”

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Power companies say they’re preparing: “Proactive distribution system planning is so critical”

Executives at the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association agree that grid updates are going to be critical over the next 10 even 20 years. 

“There is definitely going to be a requirement to manage the distribution grids better, and that’s something that we’ve been working on for the last couple of years is that how do you control EV charging,” says Tri-State’s Chief Energy Innovations Officer Reg Rudolph. “What we’re trying to work on is developing and designing programs that control that demand so that we can balance the the existing infrastructure and with demand response, and controlling chargers, and so forth, so that we don’t have to make those infrastructure investments probably as fast as we would have otherwise.”

As a co-op, Tri-State sells power to electric companies across Colorado. Rudolph says they’re working with their members to help install new charging infrastructure in rural areas. 

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An electric vehicle charges in Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association headquarters parking lot

Kati Weis, CBS News Colorado

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“One of the biggest challenges with electric vehicles is the public infrastructure, and the infrastructure at the residential level,” Rudolph said. “We’re working with our member systems and their end US consumers to provide rebates to evaluate different technologies. What are the best chargers that can be used? On the public infrastructure charging aspect of it, how do you build a regional network? And a lot of the challenges that we face is that anywhere between 50 and 100 miles is where you’re going going to need a DC fast charger and a lot of times in the rural areas, there isn’t that electrical infrastructure to meet those needs.”

Xcel Energy also says it’s working proactively on the challenges ahead. 

“That’s definitely on our radar, and that’s where I think this proactive distribution system planning is so critical,” said Nadia El Mallakh, the Vice President of Clean Transportation and Strategic Partnerships for Xcel. 

She says while there is some time before everyone makes the switch, “it’s clearly picking up pace.”

So, she says Xcel is spending $50 million on what she calls “no regrets” investments to trucking corridor grids. 

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“These are areas where we’ve looked at the system, and we’ve looked at light, and medium, and heavy duty trucking, particularly also along corridors, and where there’s a lot of density to say, ‘okay, what are some upgrades we can make now that are no regrets, and so that the grid can be more ready when these heavier duty EVs come onto the road,’” El Mallakh said. “The great thing is as businesses transition those vehicles over, we see significant carbon emission reductions, but sometimes those can take longer times, because they can trigger more grid upgrades. So, we’re really excited to be doing this.”

El Mallakh also says Xcel is working on advanced metering technology that will help inform other grid update decisions. Read more about those plans by clicking here. 

“We can more quickly see and isolate where an outage is, what’s caused it, and how quickly, even sometimes remotely, can repair it. This is going to be really important for EVs in the future,” she said. “We’re planning right now on being able to to determine where we’re seeing high levels of EVs, and that’s going to help us with prioritization of proactive system upgrades.”

Experts also tell CBS News Colorado that changes at a state legislative level will need to be made, including items like financial supports, streamlining permitting processes, and incentivizing the expansion of the electrician workforce. 

“I think a big key piece is making sure the regulators and the legislators support us, being able to make proactive distribution system investments that are efficient and wise and really leveraging our customer programs to reward our customers to say, ‘hey, if you charge off peak, that’s great for the grid, it’s great for your pocketbook, and that helps us do efficient grid upgrades,’ so, that we’re not over building, but we’re not under building,” El Mallakh said. 

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Many individual homeowners will also need to update their electric systems to accommodate the power demands of EV charging. Here’s some expert advice to consider. 

Berumen says while industries figure out major grid fixes to accommodate new EV technology, there may also be some important electric upgrades your own home will need if you’re wanting to hop on the EV train. 

If your home is an older home with a lower amp panel, he says you’ll need to hire an expert to determine if you should replace your panel to a 200 amp panel that can handle higher power. That’s an upgrade that could cost up to $4,000. 

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An example of a 200 amp electric panel outfitted with a breaker for an EV charging station in a home garage

Kati Weis, CBS News Colorado


“If you have a 60 amp or smaller panel, you’re probably going to need to upgrade your service,” Berumen said. “New homes are going to have maybe 200 amp services. There’s going to be a lot of homes out there with 100 amp service, that doesn’t mean that you’re going to have to replace the panel, but a load calculation should be done (before installing an EV charger).”

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He also says it will be important to keep in mind where your electric panel is located and if special wiring will need to be installed to ensure your charger can sit in the most convenient place for your at-home parking. 

“If your panel is already in the garage, your installation might cost a lot less, so that’s why I’d recommend you get an electrician to come out, so you can plan your costs and nothing surprises you,” Berumen said. 

El Mallakh with Xcel says her company is offering rebates to customers to help offset some of the costs of installing a new EV charger. 

If you’re interested in evaluating some rebate and incentive programs for EVs, click here to see Xcel’s rebate programs for residents, and here for commercial businesses. 

Right now, power companies say it’s better on the grid to charge your electric vehicle overnight, when there’s less demand from other appliances on the power grid, but that can come with safety risks if something is wrong with your car’s lithium ion battery.

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There was an explosion at a garage in Erie when a vehicle’s lithium battery was smoking, and firefighters applied water to it.

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Body camera video from a responding police officer shows the moment when gases from a smoking lithium ion battery led to an explosion at a home in Erie. Fortunately, no one was injured. 

Erie Police


Firefighters recommend drivers should be around when you charge your EV, in case something goes wrong, so you can call 911. 

So what should you do? Charge overnight to avoid stressing the grid, or charge during the day when you’re awake to be able to keep an eye on things?

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Berumen says there’s a good compromise: charge overnight, but set the charging at a lower power level so it charges more slowly and safely.

“I only use 80% of the capacity that I’m supposed to be using to charge,” he explained. “So, I think we have a 50 amp breaker in there, I’m using well under that. In a lot of the new cars you can set that in your car, and you can set up the charge time, so they actually stop and start at certain times, as well.”

“All hands on deck” effort required moving forward

Bottom line, experts tell CBS News Colorado EVs are an environmentally friendly, fun-to-drive way of the future that will also ultimately be more cost effective for consumers than gas-powered vehicles, but they say it’s important for homeowners, power companies, and state leaders alike to do some homework before we can get to 940,000 EVs in Colorado by 2030. 

“With a growing number of charging stations popping up nationwide, electric vehicles are becoming an increasingly attractive option for many drivers,” Berumen said.

He says the need to upgrade infrastructure on a small scale in private homes and businesses, and on a larger scale for public power grids, has made it a great time to consider becoming an electrician.

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“There is a lot of work, and we’re going to need to get a lot of people trained to do the work,” he said. 

Some experts in the industry say to ensure public infrastructure is adequately updated by 2030, it will require an “all hands on deck” and “can do” approach. 

“I think there’s been a lot of good progress on things like codes and making sure that when we’re building new buildings and homes that we’re integrating this into it, you know whether it’s EV ready or other electrification forms ready that helps, and then really coordinating with the utility on that, so, I think making sure that there’s support for early and often coordination, making sure that there are mechanisms for utilities to lean in and be proactive and invest smartly and wisely,” she said. “It’s a whole system, so, distribution is critical… we want to think about the whole system holistically, and integrate this all.”

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Colorado

Waivers don’t shield ski resorts that violate state law from liability, Colorado Supreme Court rules

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Waivers don’t shield ski resorts that violate state law from liability, Colorado Supreme Court rules


The pages of fine print that skiers and snowboarders must agree to when hitting the slopes in Colorado — waivers of liability — do not protect ski resorts when resorts violate state laws or regulations, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled Monday.

The ruling, handed down in the case of a 16-year-old girl who fell from a ski lift at Crested Butte Mountain Resort and was paralyzed two years ago, likely ends a years-long push by the ski industry to use waivers to shield resorts against almost all lawsuits, even in cases where ski areas violated state law, experts said.

“It’s a sea change, in terms of ski areas’ responsibilities and consumers’ ability to be protected from ski areas’ negligence,” said Evan Banker, a personal injury attorney at Denver firm Chalat Hatten & Banker. “…From a consumer protection standpoint, it’s huge. Because liability breeds responsibility.”

In their 5-2 decision, the Colorado Supreme Court justices considered a lawsuit brought by Annie Miller and her father, Michael Miller, over Annie’s 30-foot fall from a lift at Crested Butte, which is owned by Vail Resorts. The father and daughter from Oklahoma boarded the Paradise Express chairlift, a four-seat, high-speed lift at the resort, on March 16, 2022.

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Annie couldn’t get properly seated, and grabbed the chairlift to keep from falling. Her father and others began to yell for the lift to be stopped as she was dragged forward, but the lift continued with Annie hanging from the chair and her father trying to pull her back to safety.

Eventually, Annie fell and landed on her back. Even then, the lift did not stop, and Michael Miller was forced to ride to the top and ski down to his daughter, who suffered severe injuries and was paralyzed after the fall.

Michael Miller brought a negligence lawsuit against Crested Butte, arguing that the resort employees should have stopped the lift well before Annie fell and that failing to do so violated Colorado’s Ski Safety Act and the Passenger Tramway Safety Act. A lower court ruled much of Miller’s claim was invalid, and he appealed to the Colorado Supreme Court.

Monday’s ruling partially reversed the lower-court decision and allows Miller to continue to pursue the negligence lawsuit against the resort.

Sara Huey, a spokeswoman for Vail Resorts, declined to comment on the ruling because the Millers’ lawsuit is ongoing. In court filings, attorneys for Vail Resorts argued that the lawsuit misstated the precedent in Colorado around private liability waivers, which skiers and snowboarders must agree to when buying lift tickets and passes.

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“Colorado courts have upheld private recreational waiver agreements, even where the plaintiff could have (or did) point to a statute regulating the activity,” attorney Michael Hofmann wrote. “The existence of recreational safety regulation has never been enough to prohibit private parties from agreeing that a waiver defense will be available.”

“Big victory for ski safety”

More broadly, the state high court’s decision likely ends efforts by the ski industry to expand the protections that waivers of liability give ski areas.

“This was a big victory for ski safety in Colorado,” said Bruce Braley, who represented the Millers. “It says unequivocally that ski areas cannot force skiers and snowboarders to sign away their rights to protection under the statutes and regulations that govern the ski industry in Colorado.”

The ruling turns back the clock on liability in some Colorado ski accident cases, Banker said.

“For many, many years… everyone sort of agreed that when you sign that waiver you are waiving claims of negligence, but you can always still make claims if the ski area fails to do the things it is required to by law, like maintaining the lift properly,” Banker said.

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But since about 2017, the ski industry has been successfully challenging that understanding through targeted litigation, winning key court cases that strengthened the protection afforded by waivers and pushing to essentially provide complete immunity for anything that could happen at a ski resort unless there was gross negligence, Banker and Braley said.

“So what this has done is change that,” Banker said. “It brings us back to the landscape everyone understood it to be many years ago. Which is, you can waive claims of negligence, but the ski area doesn’t get to avoid its legal responsibility, its responsibility in statute and regulations, by having you sign a waiver.”

Adrienne Saia Isaac, a spokeswoman for the National Ski Areas Association, a Lakewood nonprofit that represents more than 300 sk- area members, said it is “too early to tell how the ruling will affect the Colorado ski industry.”

The association argued in court filings both that the lift operator at Crested Butte was not required to stop the lift in response to Annie Miller’s mishap, and that liability waivers do not allow ski areas to get around statutory regulations.

“While chairlift accidents within the reasonable control of ski area operators will never be eliminated, they are rare,” wrote Brian Birenbach, an attorney in Breckenridge representing the National Ski Areas Association. “This will not change by the continued enforcement of liability waivers in the courts.”

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Two dissenting voices

Two justices dissented from the majority’s Monday ruling, arguing that the state Supreme Court should have upheld the lower court’s ruling in Miller’s lawsuit.

Justice Monica Márquez wrote in the dissent that the type of negligence Miller claimed, “negligence per se,” or negligence in violation of a specific statute or regulation, is practically no different from ordinary negligence — that is, negligence that violates a general reasonable duty of care — and so shouldn’t be treated differently from a claim of ordinary negligence.

“The dissent essentially says, ‘It’s still negligence, and you can waive claims of ordinary negligence, so there is nothing special about a per se duty of care,’ whereas what the majority opinion said is, ‘When the legislature speaks and sets out duties of care, it means something,’” Banker said.

Braley said the ruling should encourage Colorado ski areas to pay closer attention to safety laws and regulations.

“I think the industry as a whole is going to have to accept responsibility,” he said, “and take more seriously these statutory and regulatory requirements they have to comply with to provide safe passage on chair lifts in Colorado.”

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Large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes expected across eastern Colorado

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Large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes expected across eastern Colorado


Denver weather: Strong to severe storms possible for the eastern plains

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Denver weather: Strong to severe storms possible for the eastern plains

03:14

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All modes of severe weather are expected across the Eastern Plains of Colorado later this afternoon and evening.    

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CBS


Denver, Fort Collins, and Greeley are in the marginal zone. Damaging winds and large hail (up to ~1″ diameter) will be possible as storms get organized. As storms push east of the metro area, they will enter a more favorable environment with the potential for a few tornadoes and hail up to 2″+. 

An enhanced risk (level 3/5) has been issued for Sterling, Julesburg, Holyoke, and Wray. This is where the greatest confidence exists for the worst of the storms.  

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CBS


Storms look to develop between 2-4 PM across the Front Range. The severe potential will linger until about 10-11PM across the Eastern Plains.    

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CO PO Calendar | May 20-26

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CO PO Calendar | May 20-26


CoPo’s weekly political calendar will help you find political and public-policy events throughout Colorado. It includes candidate and issue campaign events, public policy meetings, court hearings, state and local party conventions, assemblies, debates, rallies, parades, speaking engagements, traveling dignitary appearances, water meetings, book signings, county commission hearings, city council meetings and more. As a subscriber, you can submit your own events for publication to calendar@coloradopolitics.com for free publication on this page. Please include who, what, when, where and why for each event.

(Party designations: R-Republican, D-Democrat, L-Libertarian, G-Green, S-Socialist, U-Unity, F-Forward.)

MONDAY, MAY 20

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· (R) Jefferson County Republican Party: Men’s Luncheon, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 565 Union Blvd., Lakewood

· (R) Broomfield County Republican Party: Republican Women Meeting & Luncheon, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 500 Interlocken Blvd., Broomfield

· DRCOG: Transportation Advisory Committee, 1:30 p.m., 1001 17th Ave., Ste. 700, Denver

· (D) Jefferson County Democratic Party: Liberal Libations, 4-6 p.m., 11911 W. 6th Ave., Lakewood

· (D) Denver Democratic Party: Tech Office Hours, 5-6 p.m., visit https://www.denverdemocrats.org/county-party-calendar for Zoom link

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· (D) Montrose County Democratic Party: Central Committee Meeting, 6-7 p.m., 1500 E. Main St., Montrose

· (R) Denver Republican Party: HD 9 Monthly Meeting, 6:30-8 p.m., 1660 S. Albion St., Denver

TUESDAY, MAY 21

· (R) Boulder County Republican Party: Boulder Republican Women, 11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m., 4760 28th St., Boulder

· Colorado Children’s Campaign: End of Session Party, 4-6 p.m., 1200 Broadway, Denver, contact sarahb@coloradokids.org for more information

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· (R) Weld County Republican Party: Executive Committee Meeting, 6-7 p.m., 361 71st Ave., Greeley

· (S) Denver Democratic Socialists of America: Abolition Working Group Meeting, 6-7 p.m., visit denverdsa.org/events for Zoom link

· (R) Jefferson County Republican Party: HD 24 Committee Meeting, 6-7 p.m., contact 303-277-1113 for more information

· (D) Denver Democratic Party: Executive Committee Meeting, 6-8 p.m., 690 Colorado Blvd., Denver

· (D) Arapahoe County Democratic Party: Rep. Chad Clifford Town Hall, 6-8 p.m., 7272 S. Eagle St., Centennial

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· (R) Douglas County Republican Party: Executive Committee Meeting, 6-9 p.m., 9292 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Littleton

· (D) Arapahoe County Democratic Party: HD 61 Monthly Meeting, 6:30-8 p.m., 5428 S. Parker Rd., Aurora

· (D) Denver Democratic Party: Executive Committee Meeting, 6:30-8 p.m., 690 Colorado Blvd., Denver

· (R) Log Cabin Republicans: Meeting, 6:30-8:30 p.m., 221 W. 13th Ave., Denver

· (R) Denver Republican Party: HD 2 Monthly Meeting, 7-8 p.m., 700 S. Franklin St., Denver

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· (D) Grand County Democratic Party: Monthly Meeting, 7-8 p.m., contact chair@grandcountydems.org for more information

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22

· Lincoln Club of Colorado: 2024 Legislative Session Recap with Rose Pugliese and Cleave Simpson, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 5400 E. Yale Ave., Denver, cost $25, RSVP at https://secure.anedot.com/lincolnclubofcolorado/donatetothelincolnclubofcolorado

· (D) Colorado Democratic Party: South Asian Initiative, 4-5 p.m., visit https://www.coloradodems.org/calendar-of-events/ for Zoom link

· Colorado Black Women for Political Action: End of Legislative Session 2024 Happy Hour, 5:30-7:30 p.m., 2736 Welton St., Denver

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· (D) Arapahoe County Democratic Party: Sen. Michaelson-Jenet Town Hall, 6-7 p.m., visit https://www.arapahoedems.org/ for RSVP link

· (L) Denver Libertarian Party: Liberty on the Rocks, 6-9 p.m., 727 E. 16th Ave., Denver

· (R) Denver Republican Party: HD 7 & 8 Meeting, contact 1vc@denvergop.org for more information

· (S) Denver Democratic Socialists of America: Orientation Call, 7-8:30 p.m., register in advance at http://bit.ly/DDSA-Orientation

· (D) Denver Democratic Party: Healthcare Study Group, 7-8:30 p.m., contact belwood0328@gmail.com for more information

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· (D) Arapahoe County Democratic Party: HD 37 Meeting, 7-8:30 p.m., 7272 S. Eagle St., Centennial

THURSDAY, MAY 23

· Colorado General Assembly: Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning Tax Policy & TaskForce, 1 p.m., 200 E. Colfax Ave., SCR 354, Denver

· (D) Chaffee County Democratic Party: Monthly Meeting, 5:30-7 p.m., contact info@chaffeecountydemocrats.org for more information

· (R) Jefferson County Republican Party: HD 30 Meeting, 6-8 p.m., contact 303-277-1113 for more information

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· Rep. Chad Clifford Town Hall, 6-8 p.m., 6060 S. Quebec St., Greenwood Village

· (D) Weld County Democratic Party: Executive Committee Meeting, 6-8 p.m., contact info@weldcountydems.org for more information

· (D) Denver Democratic Party: HD 2 Monthly Meeting, 6:30-8 p.m., 1955 E. Arizona Ave., Denver

· (D) Jefferson County Democratic Party: HD 27 Monthly Meeting, 6:30-8 p.m., visit https://www.jeffcodems.org/calendar for Zoom link

· (D) Arapahoe County Democratic Party: HD 41 Monthly Meeting, 6:30-8 p.m., 15200 E. Girard Ave., Ste. 1400, Aurora

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· Latinas Increasing Political Strength: Qunceañera, 6:30-9:30 p.m., 3034 Larimer St., Denver

· (R) CU Republicans: Meeting, 7-8 p.m., contact coloradocr@gmail.com for more information

· (R) Boulder County Republican Party: Executive Committee Meeting, contact twatson@bocogop.org for more information

FRIDAY, MAY 24

· DRCOG: Advisory Committee on Aging, 11 a.m., 1001 17th Ave., Ste. 700, Denver

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· (R) Republicans @ Denver Athletic Club: Meeting, 12-1 p.m., 1325 Glenarm Pl., Denver

· (D) Colorado Democratic Party: RCV for Colorado Policy Committee, 2-3 p.m., visit https://rcvforcolorado-org.zoom.us/j/82762945516 to join the meeting

· (R) Jefferson County Republican Party: JeffCo EIC Zoom Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m., contact makeadifferenceinco@gmail.com for more information

SATURDAY, MAY 25

· (L) Boulder County Libertarian Party: Liberty Toastmasters, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., 315 S. Bowen St., Longmont

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· (D) Denver Democratic Party: HD 7 Monthly Meeting, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 12000 E. 47th Ave., Denver

· (D) Jefferson County Democratic Party: Open House, 4-6 p.m., 393 S. Harlan St., Ste. 190, Lakewood

SUNDAY, MAY 26

· (S) Denver Democratic Socialists of America: Brunch & Podcast Discussion, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., contact info@denverdsa.org for more information

· Training Tomorrow’s Leaders Today: ‘CRAZY HAS A NAME’ Mental Health Awareness Month, 4-7 p.m., 13200 E. 14th Pl., Aurora, purchase tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/crazy-has-a-name-tickets-869328754707?aff=oddtdtcreator

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