Mary Margaret Oliver

Mary Margaret Oliver was born on March 7, 1948, in Charleston, South Carolina, and is a DeKalb County native. She is a practicing attorney in Decatur and a member of the Democratic Party. Oliver has dedicated over three decades to public service, earning a reputation for her efforts to protect children and consumers, women's rights, marriage equality, voting rights, and equal access to justice.

Education

Oliver is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and Emory University Law School. She has remained deeply connected to Emory throughout her career, teaching in the Barton Child Law and Policy Center and serving on the Board of Visitors. She was honored as one of Emory's History Makers.

Political Experience

Oliver first entered politics in 1987 and has served multiple terms in both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly. Her service includes:

• Georgia House of Representatives : Serving since 2003, with previous service from 1987 to 1993
• Georgia State Senate: Served from 1993 to 1999
• 1998 Lieutenant Governor Campaign: Led the initial Democratic primary but lost to fellow state senator Mark Taylor in a runoff

Notable Achievements and Positions

Oliver holds the distinction of being the only person in Georgia state history to have served as chair of both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. In 2021, she was appointed chair of the Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transit Oversight Committee , making her the sole Democrat committee chair in the House during the 2021-2022 session.

She was instrumental in carrying the Speaker's bipartisan Mental Health Parity Act to unanimous passage by both chambers in 2022, described as a watershed victory for Georgians.

Oliver currently serves on numerous committees including Appropriations, Judiciary, Governmental Affairs, Juvenile Justice, and Public Health. She also serves on the Committee on Justice for Children by appointment of the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court and the Commission on Behavioral Health Innovation and Reform by appointment of the Governor.