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Catch Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver in the press!

Panelist on WABE Politically Georgia

The political game in Georgia is more dynamic than ever. From local elected officials to state and federal government, we're facing complicated issues. On "Political Rewind," hosts Bill Nigut and Chase McGee take the time to break down these issues, speaking directly to Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver and other key decision-makers. Get caught up on what's happened in this fast-changing political world and look ahead to know what to expect.

Tune in on GPB every Monday through Friday.

A Regular Contributor to
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigates and reports what’s really going on in our local Georgia communities. They follow the real, fact-based news wherever the facts may lead, and uncover the truth, protect the public’s right to know and document our region’s moments, milestones and people. Rep. Oliver regularly contributes opinions to the AJC.

You can read more here.

Press

August 29, 2024

Violence fuels urgency to house people at Atlanta homeless camp

“The solutions are going to come from providing housing,” said state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, a Democrat who sits on a homelessness work group for the Commission on Behavioral Health Innovation and Reform. “You can talk about everything else in the world, but basically we have a housing crisis.”

August 13, 2024

Decatur Dish: Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver discusses mental health, homlessness and more

State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, an accomplished and long-serving legislator, joined the Decatur Dish show this week. Her interview covered various topics, including mental health legislation, homelessness, and recent developments at the state elections board. Here’s the full episode, provided by Atlanta News First:

August 9, 2024

Tort reform likely front-burner issue for 2025 General Assembly

“Constitutionally, people have a right to their day in court, and appellate courts in Georgia have been protective of that,” said state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, a member of the House Judiciary Committee.

July 15, 2024

Georgia leaders are reacting to Donald Trump picking JD Vance as his running mate

State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, said Trump chose the “most aggressive and most accusatory of all the possible choices he had.”

April 29, 2024

How we got here: Georgia’s maternal health crisis

“It comes back to access to health care and prenatal care and early care, perinatal care. When it comes to pre-birth post-birth, it comes to better health care for women across Georgia,” said Decatur Democratic state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, who serves on the House Public Health Committee.

April 26, 2024

State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver asks that misdemeanor charges be dismissed

Long-time Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, is asking university President Gregory L. Fenves to act quickly in requesting that misdemeanor charges against protesters who did not engage in “undisputed physical attacks” be dismissed.

April 24, 2024

Candidate Q&A – Mary Margaret Oliver

Early voting in the May 21 primary election begins on April 29.

April 23, 2024

Decatur legislators talk mental health, Medicaid, gun safety during town hall

“We didn’t get our mental health bill, but we moved forward after the 2023 session with a lot of budget infusions that were important,” Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D – Decatur) said.

April 2, 2024

DeKalb County leaders tackling troubled apartment complex

“It’s the landlord’s responsibility under (House Bill) 404 to make the home habitable," said State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver.

April 1, 2024

When the Number of Bedrooms in a Home Keeps Parents From Getting Their Kids Back

State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, a longtime Democratic lawmaker who has authored several legislative changes to the foster care system, said this should include connecting parents to housing once they have resolved other safety concerns. “If we are not able to provide a competent working parent with a place to live, I think that we’re failing in our obligation to reunite the family,” she said.

March 27, 2024

LISTEN: Lawmakers keep eye on culture war bill ahead of Sine Die

Longtime state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, like Crawford a Democrat from Decatur, says she “will be surprised if the House allows the Senate ‘Franken-awful-bill’ to come to the floor,” adding that her chamber is the more “mature body” in the General Assembly.

March 20, 2024

Georgia House backs expansion of jail-based program for mentally ill suspects

Democratic Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, who represents Decatur, said “this represents an enormous amount of very hard work by both the sheriffs and the judges to deal with a problem that is significantly clogging our system.”

March 14, 2024

State fires two child welfare workers over Gwinnett rolling pin beating case

"The real question is, was this child’s death preventable?" said State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, a longtime child protection advocate and a member of the House Juvenile Justice Committee. "In hindsight, it looks like this death was preventable."

January 17, 2024

DeKalb County NAACP holds parade honoring MLK

The DeKalb County Branch of the NAACP hosted their annual parade honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, Jan. 15. The parade included performances from high school marching bands and appearances from elected officials and DeKalb-based chapters of fraternal and sororal organizations.

November 28, 2023

Federal judge wants new Georgia voting district maps complete by early December

Democratic State Representative Mary Margaret Oliver remembers the last time a judge ordered Georgia to redraw its maps because she was there. She says it won’t be an easy process. “It’s very tense. It’s very partisan, and we’ll be gathering back here soon,” Oliver said.

October 30, 2023

Georgia state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver Awarded the Weltner Freedom of Information Award by the Georgia First Amendment Foundation

The Georgia First Amendment Foundation honored state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver as the 2023 Charles L. Weltner Freedom of Information Award honoree.

September 11, 2023

Georgia insurers fail to prove compliance with mental health law

Oliver, who co-sponsored last year’s bill, said that the legislation is still early in the process. She and other lawmakers are not yet discouraged by what seems to be the lack of information shared with the insurance department.

August 30, 2023

OPINION: Uncivil political wars a threat to public service

Last year, as legislators debated a sweeping mental health reform bill, protestors in the state Capitol’s hallways chanted, “Heads on pikes! Heads on pikes!” “That’s not a benign chant,” said state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, a sponsor of the bipartisan bill and a master of the obvious. “I wondered what it is? Is it a rallying cry? Is it performative? Is it a threat?”

August 10, 2023

Will the ‘Trump effect’ slow Georgia’s budding ranked-choice voting effort?

“People are told by former President Trump that our election was unfair. All of the messaging he put out there to weaken confidence in the Georgia election system has been successful to a certain extent,” said Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur).

June 20, 2023

Political Rewind: Show's cancellation; One year since Roe v. Wade; Raffensperger up for debate

"The privilege of being invited to this show the past nine years is a significant part of how I think about how I communicate not only with my constituents, but people all over the state. It's always been true that the party in charge is in charge of public radio voices, and I feel a great deal of sadness about the division in the political world of Georgia," said Mary Margaret Oliver (D) Decatur.

June 19, 2023

Georgia political radio show axed following GOP budget cut

"This isn’t budget," said state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur), who was a repeat panelist for nine years on the program. "I think it’s a strategic political decision of Georgia Public (Broadcasting) i.e. the (state) Republican leadership, to not support a civil bipartisan conversation."

June 15, 2023

Political Rewind: Kemp makes budget cuts; Walker under scrutiny; Trump dominates CNN town hall

LISTEN: State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver on the reaction to the budget changes.

May 31, 2023

Funding for committee addressing children’s mental health put on hold

"I’m with many other house members and senators that are very disappointed about specific issues we worked to get into the budget," State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver said Tuesday. "For me, the MATCH committee was a top priority."

April 24, 2023

Political Rewind: Trump allegedly involved in Coffee County breach; Kemp passes on state GOP event

Overwhelming evidence shows that supporters of then-President Donald Trump copied Georgia’s statewide voting software from an election office in rural Coffee County.

April 21, 2023

Decatur legislators weigh on ‘Cop City’ during town hall

Reps. Mary Margaret Oliver (D – Decatur), Omari Crawford (D – Decatur), Becky Evans (D – Atlanta) and Sen. Elena Parent (D – Senate District 42) hosted the town hall. A question submitted prior to the town hall asked the legislators if they would commit to introducing legislation to require the Georgia State Patrol to wear body cameras.

April 10, 2023

‘Anti-homeless’ bill that cracks down on public camping won’t help unhoused residents

State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) said the proposal on Kemp’s desk is an “anti-homeless bill” that “criminalizes poverty” by attempting to reduce local governments’ discretion to prosecute or forgive people for violating urban camping laws.

March 23, 2023

Georgia Senate unveils new mental health bill at late hour

Mary Margaret Oliver, a Decatur Democrat and House co-sponsor, said immediately after the meeting that she believed that although more House-Senate talks were needed, that the bill was workable.

March 23, 2023

DeKalb County legislators announce bill to remove Stone Mountain Park’s designation as Confederate Memorial

State Representatives Billy Mitchell (D-Stone Mountain), Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) and Omari Crawford (D-Decatur) have introduced House Bill 794, which would remove the official designation of Stone Mountain Park as a Confederate Memorial.

March 22, 2023

Politics aside, supporters pushing expansion of Georgia’s mental health services stay optimistic

Oliver said she was particularly focused on barriers for the workforce. A study that would have looked at ways to modernize the state’s licensing system was dropped from the bill, though senators say they propose to accomplish the same through a study committee.

March 21, 2023

Georgia lawmakers push to remove Confederate designation on Stone Mountain Park

Democratic State Rep. Billy Mitchell, whose district represents the park, Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur), and Rep. Omari Crawford (D-Decatur) introduced a bill Monday that would remove the official designation of Stone Mountain Park as a Confederate Memorial.

March 21, 2023

Georgia Lawmakers Fighting To Remove The World's Largest Confederate Monument

As Oliver stated, “I am a native of Georgia and DeKalb County, and Stone Mountain has been a part of all the stages of my life…The park is an important asset for our county and state and enjoys enormous popularity and use..."

March 5, 2023

Georgia lawmakers offer both punitive and safety net approaches to tackling homelessness

The lead sponsors of HB 520 are Rep. Todd Jones, a South Forsyth Republican, and Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, a Decatur Democrat. The representatives say this is a full-circle solution for Georgia’s workforce issue; by not only bringing in more physicians, but also getting people the help they need in order to find employment and build a sustainable and independent life.

March 3, 2023

Political Rewind: Growing distrust and political problems for the press

LISTEN: State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver on legislation against transgender children and Georgia's mental health legislation.

March 2, 2023

Georgia House Seeks More Improvements to Mental Health

The Georgia House is pushing forward a plan aimed at doing more to recruit mental health care workers, and finding ways to help people who bounce between hospitals, jails and homelessness.

March 2, 2023

Georgia Senate next stop for House bill that aims to expand access to mental health services

“(This bill) is essential for us to move forward for the additional services and additional accountability the taxpayers of Georgia expect us to apply when we’re delivering service to families in crisis,” said Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, a Decatur Democrat and the bill’s other co-sponsor.

March 2, 2023

Mental health reform package clears Georgia House, heads to Senate

The bill would mandate the standardized terminology be proposed by December 1, 2023. It would create incentives to help grow the state’s workforce of licensed mental health and treatment providers, including expanding a student loan-forgiveness program for providers, and make it easier for state agencies to share information about patients in crisis.

February 28, 2023

Mental health bill gains unanimous approval in state House committee

Cosponsored by Reps. Todd Jones, R-South Forsyth, and Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Atlanta, the lengthy new bill aims to increase the size of the mental-health workforce in Georgia and make it easier for people who cycle between the streets, emergency rooms and jails to get the help they need.

February 28, 2023

Georgia lawmakers advance tenant rights bill

A legislative panel on Tuesday approved a measure that would require landlords in Georgia to provide housing “fit for human habitation,” while backing off other changes to state law that tenant advocates said could undermine the effort to help renters.

February 27, 2023

Mental health legislation remains top of the agenda for Dems and Republicans

“We know that workforce is the biggest challenge for mental health service providers and for families in crisis. This is true for businesses and all kinds of state, county and social service providers. The expansion of the loan forgiveness program and the need to address barriers in the licensing boards are very high priorities,” said Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, one of the bill’s co-sponsors, who also serves on the Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission (BHRIC), which developed both bills.

February 22, 2023

Georgia House leaders promise more action on mental health

"We need our licensing boards for our mental health professionals to be more responsive, to be more efficient and more part of the modern world of online services and online payments," Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver said.

February 13, 2023

Few may get aid as Georgia House backs cash to pregnant moms

A few pregnant women could get cash from Georgia’s government under a bill the state House approved Monday.

February 8, 2023

Democrats, Republicans proposing many gun bills in state legislature, but no support yet

Democratic Reps. Michelle Au (D-Johns Creek) and Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) dropped two of the gun storage bills. Yet they say no Republican has been willing to co-sponsor a bill requiring safe firearm storage. "That’s very frustrating," Oliver said.

February 6, 2023

DeKalb legislators discuss mental health, education, housing during town hall

State Sen. Elena Parent (D – Senate District 42) and state Reps. Becky Evans (D – Atlanta) and Mary Margaret Oliver (D – Decatur) held a legislative town hall on Sunday, Feb. 5, at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church.

February 5, 2023

Georgia House Democrats drop gun bills

State Reps. Michelle Au, D-Johns Creek, and Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, announced four pieces of legislation ranging from a proposal to institute a three-day waiting period to buy firearms to holding firearm owners responsible if a minor uses their firearm to threaten violence.

January 17, 2023

Georgia House shuffles GOP committee leaders and creates health panel

Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns announced a slate of committee leaders Tuesday that includes a new panel over health care policy and removes the Democrat who had overseen MARTA. Democratic Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver had been in charge of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Overview Committee, appointed two years ago by then-Speaker David Ralston in a sign of bipartisanship.

January 17, 2023

Health-care needs focus of first day of state budget hearings

Broce also said DFCS has developed draft legislation to address the hoteling problem for lawmakers to consider this session. The issue has emerged as a top concern for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Sen. Blake Tillery, R- Vidalia, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, a leader in the state’s mental health reform efforts.

January 14, 2023

In second term, expect a ‘frank’ Kemp to push boundaries

“I fear the governor’s focus is too much on the national stage,” Democratic state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver said. “I’m concerned he will not engage in the details of Georgia’s needs and our very diverse population.”

January 10, 2023

Senate committee endorses narrow reforms for development authorities

Rep. Margaret Mary Oliver, D-Decatur, wanted a joint committee to continue to explore potential reforms, but that proposal was nixed. “I would have liked the report to go further,” she said. “I think there’s work to do, and I think an intelligent, public discussion with the developers and with policymakers is necessary.”

January 10, 2023

Georgia senators suggest minor changes, not major reforms, for development authorities

Last year, the legislature passed a measure capping per-diem payments to directors of development authorities in counties with populations of 550,000 or more. However, a second bill sponsored by Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, that would have given cities, counties, and school districts the right to participate in bond validation hearings failed to gain support.

January 10, 2023

Political Rewind: Dawgs win again; Special grand jury dissolves; Ossoff says Democrats must regroup

The Dawgs won by 58 points, the largest win margin in College Football Playoff history. They're the first back-to-back national champs since Alabama pulled off the feat from 2011 to 2012. The Fulton County special grand jury has ended its investigation into 2020 election interference and the Legislature has officially set its calendar.

January 9, 2023

Georgia lawmakers hope to build on 2022’s mental health reforms

“The subcommittees and the commission members have worked hard since Sine Die and are pleased to bring forward significant new reform proposals. Many of the advocacy groups have been involved in this process and are excited about more progress— there is still lots to do,” Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, a Decatur Democrat who co-sponsored last year’s bill, said Friday.

December 16, 2022

‘They’re just 17-year-olds:’ Georgia lawmakers discuss bill to raise age of juvenile offenders

State Representative Mary Margaret Oliver said a new proposal to raise that age in Georgia to 18 has come up in legislature several times in recent years.

November 17, 2022

Political Rewind: Legislators remember Speaker Ralston; Nancy Pelosi leaves U.S. House leadership

State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver on Speaker David Ralston and Speaker Nancy Pelosi's impacts on their respective chambers.‍

November 17, 2022

Witnesses at state Senate hearing call for tighter control of development authorities

The governor has appointed the head of an influential behavioral health reform panel to lead the state agency responsible for Georgia’s safety net system for people with disabilities and behavioral health needs. State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, a Decatur Democrat who co-sponsored last year’s bill, said Tanner’s background gives him a deep understanding of the problems straining the state’s system.

November 16, 2022

Georgia House Speaker Ralston has died at age 68

“He saw the reality that the House needed to be a leader for some level of moderation in the face of a Republican Party that has turned dramatically to the right,” said Mary Margaret Oliver, a Decatur Democrat who co-sponsored this year’s mental health bill and was one of Ralston’s warmest friends in the General Assembly.

November 16, 2022

Georgia senate committee debates reforming development authorities

“These deals are very complicated,” Rep. Margaret Mary Oliver, D-Decatur, a committee member, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We have to have greater transparency.”

November 14, 2022

Political Rewind: Democrats control U.S. Senate; U.S. House influx; State GOP elects new speaker

Georgia State House representatives convened to elect a new House Speaker in November 2022 after Rep. David Ralston announced he'd step down from the role.

November 6, 2022

Georgia House Speaker David Ralston to end tenure in powerful role

Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur), who helped Ralston pass the mental health package, said he honored pledges to talk about issues with Democrats. "We are in a terrible time of politics," she told Axios. Ralston, on the other hand, she said was "such an important, positive influence for the House. It's very sad."

October 26, 2022

Children’s announces major gift, new center

“I’m grateful that the Zalik Foundation is reaching out to meet our critical needs and I look forward to more news from Children’s about intensive psychiatric services for children,” said Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, a co-sponsor of a mental health reform bill approved by the Georgia General Assembly this year.

October 14, 2022

Critics say Children’s Healthcare should do more to fill gaps in mental health system

Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, who co-sponsored the wide-ranging mental health parity legislation that became state law this year, said that for 10 years she has urged Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta do more to fill gaps in mental health system.

October 7, 2022

Children in Crisis: How Georgia’s mental health system is failing kids

State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, a co-sponsor of a mental health reform bill approved by the Georgia General Assembly this year, said it’s not disputed that Georgia is at a crisis point when it comes to providing care for children whose lives are threatened by a mental health emergency.

October 4, 2022

New report: Georgia 13th in nation for amount of toxic chemicals dumped in waterways

“The state issues permitting in respect to agricultural waste,” said Georgia Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, who serves on the House Science and Technology Committee and is a board member of the Altamaha Riverkeeper. Oliver noted there is currently an effort to set up Georgia’s first national park around the Ocmulgee River basin and that clean water would be essential to that effort.

August 23, 2022

Mental health calls take toll on police

In the upcoming legislative session next year, Oliver said legislators are hoping to address transportation challenges for mental health. In fact, that's a big drill down we're doing now in in our next phase is to understand what are the transportation issues, particularly at rural communities, but all communities face.

August 18, 2022

Pairing officers with counselors offers hope to mental health response

"I'm very happy with the response," said Georgia Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, a lead House sponsor of the bill. "Law enforcement recognize this approach could be of real assistance and I think it's safer for the mentally ill person in crisis, safer for the family and safer for the law enforcement officer."

August 15, 2022

New life for Medicaid expansion in Georgia

"There are many conversations happening in many rooms about how Medicaid could be expanded in Georgia, regardless of who is elected governor," Democratic state House Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver confirmed to Axios. Talks are happening among Democrats and Republicans, she said, in a way that feels new.

August 5, 2022

Georgia lawmakers looking for transparency, accountability from development authorities

Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, introduced a bill last year giving cities, counties, and school districts the right to participate in bond validation hearings. However, the bill failed to gain traction in the House.

June 10, 2022

Georgia mental health commission planning next round of reforms

ATLANTA — Georgia is starting “the decade of mental health reforms,” Kevin Tanner, chairman of the state’s Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission, said this week.

June 9, 2022

Oliver Wants GBI To Investigate DeKalb Election + Decatur's Budgets

State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) supports a call for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to look into the DeKalb County Commission District 2 election, the race that required a hand count and resulted in a delayed certification of election results.

May 9, 2022

Georgia House Democrats condemn potential abortion ban in wake of leaked Supreme Court opinion

The Georgia House Democratic Caucus held a press conference Monday in which representatives – all women – decried the potential loss of abortion rights in Georgia and urged voters to support pro-choice candidates in upcoming elections.

May 8, 2022

New Georgia bill gives grandparents visitation opportunities

Democratic Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, a long-time family law attorney in Decatur, said the new law was crafted to meet the court's suggestion.

April 29, 2022

Political Rewind: Longtime lawmakers reflect on tumultuous primary season, election issues

Friday on Political Rewind: State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver is a longtime Democratic elected official representing Decatur and the surrounding area. She was first elected to the Georgia House in 2003 and authored key bills, like the 2022 session's Mental Health Parity act.

March 31, 2022

Bill to overhaul mental health services passes legislature with overwhelming support

Clapping and cheering could be heard in the Georgia General Assembly on March 30 as lawmakers passed the Mental Health Parity Act, which aims to improve mental health services in the state.

January 10, 2022

Principal waited to report alleged abuse, endangered kids, suit says

State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, the Decatur Democrat who’s been a strong advocate for mandatory reporting, said the case showed the importance of quickly reporting child abuse. That is especially true, she said, when the children have special needs. “They are the children who are the most vulnerable,” Oliver said, citing factors including the difficulty some special needs children have with verbal communication and expressing themselves to investigators.

January 6, 2022

Metro Atlanta lawmaker Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver to file development authority reform bills

The bills from state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) follow a series of investigative reports by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Channel 2 Action News last summer that showed loose financial controls, mismanagement and improper per diem payments to some board members of the Development Authority of Fulton County.

December 10, 2021

One of Georgia’s longest-serving female lawmakers reflects on her losses and wins

Georgia state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, a long-time Democratic lawmaker, surprised a lot of people when she applied for a committee chair position in the GOP-controlled House earlier this year.

August 16, 2021

A timely discussion on development authorities

There is very little transparency in the work of development authorities, and their accountability to citizens or other governments is weak, untested, or unknown. I invite a debate on these important policy questions.

August 7, 2021

COVID-19 survivors, families rally for more support

Three state lawmakers attended the rally, including Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, who told the crowd that elected officials have not adequately listened to disease survivors and family members.

January 21, 2021

The Jolt: Seeds of power sharing in the Georgia House

Democratic state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver will lead the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Overview Committee.

November 27, 2020

Bills would give Ga. counties, schools more say in city tax incentives

The package of bills recently pre-filed by state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) would give counties and school districts more agency in the often controversial processes.

October 30, 2020

Georgia lawmakers seek jail reform after Reuters investigation

“It is a tragedy. It is malpractice on the part of the state of Georgia, and on the counties,” said Mary Margaret Oliver, a Georgia Democratic lawmaker and former magistrate court judge. Oliver said substandard mental health care in jails must be tackled when lawmakers convene in January. “Jails are significantly the largest mental health facility in the state,” she said. “And we are not attending to the combination of mental illness, addiction, and significant physical health issues.”

March 4, 2020

'Hidden Predator' bill widens statute of limitations for child sex abuse lawsuits in Georgia

Other states like New York have recently passed laws giving victims a limited window to sue for cases dating back decades ago. Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, said Wednesday that Georgia should follow their lead. “We’ve got to get in line,” she said. “We are preventing victims from getting in that line without passing this bill.”

February 19, 2020

In HB 316, House GOP leaders concede that Stacey Abrams had a point

All four bills were authored by state Rep. Kimberly Alexander, D-Hiram. Trammell provided the second signature on each. Mary Margaret Oliver of Decatur, the ranking Democrat on the House Governmental Affairs Committee, which is overseeing the measure, provided the third signature.

February 4, 2020

Clock ticking on Georgia Power plan for unlined coal ash storage

“Georgia has to be part of the national discussion,” said Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, a Decatur Democrat. “We have the largest coal power plant in the United States of America in our state, and we know that there are issues of toxic coal ash residue reaching our wells. That is something that people care about, and we have a responsibility to protect our water sources.”

November 18, 2019

Ga. lawmakers consider raising age for juveniles to be charged as adults

Georgia’s local jurisdictions jailed about 6,500 17-year-olds in Georgia in recent years, said state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, citing data from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The information doesn’t say how long those 17-year olds stayed in adult jails before being released or whether they have since committed new crimes. It’s been a struggle getting local sheriff’s offices overseeing county jails to give her a full picture of what happens to jailed teens.

March 19, 2019

Why it’s about time that Georgia takes closer look at child marriage

State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver is one of the co-sponsors of HB 228, which would raise the age when children in Georgia can marry from 16 to 17.

February 7, 2019

Georgia bill would outlaw Confederate displays on public property

Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver is one of the six House members to propose new legislation that would outlaw any symbols, monuments, memorials or other dedications to the Confederacy on public property – including the monument at Stone Mountain.

Press

Catch Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver in the press!

Panelist on WABE Politically Georgia

A Regular Contributor to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Press

Violence fuels urgency to house people at Atlanta homeless camp

Decatur Dish: Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver discusses mental health, homlessness and more

Tort reform likely front-burner issue for 2025 General Assembly

Georgia leaders are reacting to Donald Trump picking JD Vance as his running mate

How we got here: Georgia’s maternal health crisis

State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver asks that misdemeanor charges be dismissed

Candidate Q&A – Mary Margaret Oliver

Decatur legislators talk mental health, Medicaid, gun safety during town hall

DeKalb County leaders tackling troubled apartment complex

When the Number of Bedrooms in a Home Keeps Parents From Getting Their Kids Back

LISTEN: Lawmakers keep eye on culture war bill ahead of Sine Die

Georgia House backs expansion of jail-based program for mentally ill suspects

State fires two child welfare workers over Gwinnett rolling pin beating case

DeKalb County NAACP holds parade honoring MLK

Federal judge wants new Georgia voting district maps complete by early December

Georgia state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver Awarded the Weltner Freedom of Information Award by the Georgia First Amendment Foundation

Georgia insurers fail to prove compliance with mental health law

OPINION: Uncivil political wars a threat to public service

Will the ‘Trump effect’ slow Georgia’s budding ranked-choice voting effort?

Political Rewind: Show's cancellation; One year since Roe v. Wade; Raffensperger up for debate

Georgia political radio show axed following GOP budget cut

Political Rewind: Kemp makes budget cuts; Walker under scrutiny; Trump dominates CNN town hall

Funding for committee addressing children’s mental health put on hold

Political Rewind: Trump allegedly involved in Coffee County breach; Kemp passes on state GOP event

Decatur legislators weigh on ‘Cop City’ during town hall

‘Anti-homeless’ bill that cracks down on public camping won’t help unhoused residents

Georgia Senate unveils new mental health bill at late hour

DeKalb County legislators announce bill to remove Stone Mountain Park’s designation as Confederate Memorial

Politics aside, supporters pushing expansion of Georgia’s mental health services stay optimistic

Georgia lawmakers push to remove Confederate designation on Stone Mountain Park

Georgia Lawmakers Fighting To Remove The World's Largest Confederate Monument

Georgia lawmakers offer both punitive and safety net approaches to tackling homelessness

Political Rewind: Growing distrust and political problems for the press

Georgia House Seeks More Improvements to Mental Health

Georgia Senate next stop for House bill that aims to expand access to mental health services

Mental health reform package clears Georgia House, heads to Senate

Mental health bill gains unanimous approval in state House committee

Georgia lawmakers advance tenant rights bill

Mental health legislation remains top of the agenda for Dems and Republicans

Georgia House leaders promise more action on mental health

Few may get aid as Georgia House backs cash to pregnant moms

Democrats, Republicans proposing many gun bills in state legislature, but no support yet

DeKalb legislators discuss mental health, education, housing during town hall

Georgia House Democrats drop gun bills

Georgia House shuffles GOP committee leaders and creates health panel

Health-care needs focus of first day of state budget hearings

In second term, expect a ‘frank’ Kemp to push boundaries

Senate committee endorses narrow reforms for development authorities

Georgia senators suggest minor changes, not major reforms, for development authorities

Political Rewind: Dawgs win again; Special grand jury dissolves; Ossoff says Democrats must regroup

Georgia lawmakers hope to build on 2022’s mental health reforms

‘They’re just 17-year-olds:’ Georgia lawmakers discuss bill to raise age of juvenile offenders

Political Rewind: Legislators remember Speaker Ralston; Nancy Pelosi leaves U.S. House leadership

Witnesses at state Senate hearing call for tighter control of development authorities

Georgia House Speaker Ralston has died at age 68

Georgia senate committee debates reforming development authorities

Political Rewind: Democrats control U.S. Senate; U.S. House influx; State GOP elects new speaker

Georgia House Speaker David Ralston to end tenure in powerful role

Children’s announces major gift, new center

Critics say Children’s Healthcare should do more to fill gaps in mental health system

Children in Crisis: How Georgia’s mental health system is failing kids

New report: Georgia 13th in nation for amount of toxic chemicals dumped in waterways

Mental health calls take toll on police

Pairing officers with counselors offers hope to mental health response

New life for Medicaid expansion in Georgia

Georgia lawmakers looking for transparency, accountability from development authorities

Georgia mental health commission planning next round of reforms

Oliver Wants GBI To Investigate DeKalb Election + Decatur's Budgets

Georgia House Democrats condemn potential abortion ban in wake of leaked Supreme Court opinion

New Georgia bill gives grandparents visitation opportunities

Political Rewind: Longtime lawmakers reflect on tumultuous primary season, election issues

Bill to overhaul mental health services passes legislature with overwhelming support

Principal waited to report alleged abuse, endangered kids, suit says

Metro Atlanta lawmaker Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver to file development authority reform bills

One of Georgia’s longest-serving female lawmakers reflects on her losses and wins

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