October 3, 2025

Fall 2025 Updates

I want to thank the CDC leaders who joined us at the Capitol to tell their stories about the mass layoffs, recent high-level firings, and the shooting on the CDC campus at Emory where Officer David Rose was killed. Please mark your calendars for a Legislative Town Hall on Tuesday, December 2nd. I continue to focus on the issue of child mental health services, and I also celebrated the tremendous success of hardworking Emory student athletes.

‍CDC ROUNDTABLE AND PRESS CONFERENCE

I want to thank the CDC leaders who joined us at the Capitol in early September to tell their stories about the mass layoffs, recent high-level firings, and the shooting on the CDC campus at Emory where a gunman fired almost 500 rounds into CDC buildings and killed DeKalb police officer David Rose. Dr. Debra Houry, Dr. Daniel Jernigan, and other leaders showed professionalism, dedication, and intelligence, which ultimately gave us hope. These people have served us well with their amazing skills and do not deserve the travesty of Robert Kennedy’s destructive biases. I asked several of them to please stay in Georgia! Ariel Hart of the AJC and Zoe Seiler of Decaturish.com wrote excellent articles about the round table discussion and press conference---good work. I am also grateful particularly to Dr. Barbara Marston and Rep. Saira Draper for their efforts in making this happen. Please read the Atlanta Journal-Constitution article and the Decaturish article for more information about the roundtable and press conference.

‍

LEGISLATIVE TOWN HALL IN DECEMBER

Please mark your calendars for a pre-Session Legislative Town Hall on Tuesday, December 2nd at Winnona Park Elementary School at 6:30pm. Senator Elena Parent, Representatives Imani Barnes and Omari Crawford, and I will discuss the upcoming session and answer your questions.

‍

ABANDONED CHILDREN IN GEORGIA EMERGENCY ROOMS - HB 611

House Bill 611 created a Study Committee, chaired by Representative Katie Dempsey, on the issue of child abandonment. The focus is primarily on children who are not receiving any or adequate mental health care in Georgia's emergency rooms. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) researched the number of children in their three ERs seeking mental health services and has published its results in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. The analysis is terrible. The percentage of children in ERs who are in the custody of both to the Department of Family and Children's Services (DFCS) and the Department of Juvenile Justice is 42%. The average number of prior placements by the state of Georgia for these children is sixteen. 50% of these children had no prior treatment for mental health services. There are tens of thousands of children, over 60% of those visiting the ER, who are discharged and get no follow up treatment.

Since the passage of House Bill 1013 in 2022, reimbursement rates to residential psychiatric beds for children have increased about 30%, and questions about the impact of this improved funding are not forthcoming. The number of children from out of state who are occupying Georgia beds continues to be relevant to the issue of available services, and exact numbers are allegedly unknowable. CHOA still will not commit to providing additional residential beds for children in need of care on their campus, but at least they are talking about it. CHOA has expanded its services for outpatient treatment for children coming from the ERs. We continue to focus on the lack of data available for children who are traveling between DFCS and DJJ's or private insurance and Medicaid. We do not have a comprehensive way of analyzing medical records for children who are in need of mental health services, who have received multiple placements, or even for children who are in state custody. I'll report on what recommendations House Bill 611 Study Committee makes by the end of this year. You can watch the extensive testimony presented by the first two hearings for this Study Committee below.

‍

September 30th meeting of the House Study Committee on Abandoned Child Placement Following Hospital Discharge

‍

September 15th meeting of the House Study Committee on Abandoned Child Placement Following Hospital Discharge

‍

CELEBRATION OF EMORY ATHLETICS

Representative Omari Crawford and I visited with successful Emory athletes this week, and we are thrilled to highlight for you the tremendous success of the hardworking student athletes on the Emory campus. Emory University was the first University Athletic Association school to win the Directors' Cup, a milestone achievement that celebrates the best all-round athletic program in the country. Emory also won the Cup at four different collegiate levels. Among the individual winners is Nikki Boon, the 2025 Women's Decathlon world champion who is competing for an Olympic team spot in her sport. At present, she ranks at #10 in the world.

Both Emory’s Men and Women's Golf teams won national championships, and current junior Kevin Mu has earned All-American Honors in 2025. Golf Head Coach Liz Fernandes won National Coach of the Year. The Men's Track and Field Team won its first USA Conference Championship since 2015 and three Eagles earned All-American First Team honors.

It was fun to visit with these athletes and coaches and to present them with General Assembly Recognition Resolutions-- congratulations to all!

‍

PREVIOUS POLL RESULTS

‍

OUT AND ABOUT

I always like to share with you my activities as your Representative for House District 84. Please let me know at mmo@mmolaw.com if you have any suggestions for events that you would like for me to attend in your neighborhood. Thanks!

I am looking forward to attending the Decatur Book Festival this weekend! On Saturday, I plan to attend the following:

*Exploring Georgia Natural Wonders, including Charles Seabrook, several others----11:30am Marriott Hotel Mary Gay Room

*Kimberly Bellflower, Emory playwright nominated for 7 Tonys – 2:30pm Marriott Hotel B, moderated by Rosemary Magee

*Stacey Abrams and her new book Coded Justice, moderated by Rose Scott -- 3:45pm First Baptist Church

See the full festival schedule HERE.

‍

On September 30th, Joe Crespino, William Johnstone, and Wyche Fowler offered an enjoyable and thoughtful conversation tonight about politics—- there are lessons to learn about and how to make some necessary change. There can be hope, and we need to look toward younger voters for help.

‍

Ga. Tech and Vanderbilt are undefeated— Dawgs suffer a painful loss. I am totally tuned into college football…. A mysterious new focus for me. Go Dores!

‍

Brian Goldstone’s new book There Is No Place For Us is an in depth analysis of homeless families living in extended stay hotels in Atlanta—-all working full time but cannot afford a place to live. Thank you St. Vincent de Paul for helping these families, and inviting me to your award lunch on September 27th. We must do more.

‍

Some welcome good news from higher ed— we applaud this good deed from Emory!! Read the AJC article HERE.

‍

I enjoyed visiting Tapestry Charter School on September 9th with Rahn Mayo and CEO Tyson—good update on a middle and high school focusing on children with autism, with a 95% graduation rate! And, expanding to Clayton County. Thank you.

‍

On September 7th, a beautiful afternoon in DeKalb, we greeted Peter Hubbard, running for The Public Service Commission, and Charlie Bailey, ED of the state Democratic Party! VOTE!!

‍

UPCOMING DATES

Saturday, October 4th - Decatur Book Festival

Friday, October 10th - Atlanta Master Chorale

Saturday, October 11th - Oakhurst Porchfest

Wednesday, October 22nd - HR 611 Study Committee

Friday, October 24 - Sunday, October 26th - The New Yorker Festival

Tuesday, October 28th - First Amendment Foundation Weltner dinner

‍

QUICK LINKS FOR YOU

I am on the following legislative committees. You can watch live every time they meet. Click on the links below for livestreams, agendas, archives and more.

Committees:

Subcommittees:

Appropriations - Human Resources
Governmental Affairs - State and Local Government
Judicial - Leverett (two)

You can search for and track bills, watch the House (or Senate) in Session, watch committee hearings, monitor legislation by committee, and find contact information —- all on the revamped General Assembly website. Here are quick links:

General Assembly website: https://www.legis.ga.gov/
House Session meetings and many committee hearings are available to watch online: https://www.legis.ga.gov/house
Archived videos of meetings and hearings: https://www.legis.ga.gov/house/media-services

Make your views known and tell me what issues interest you the most.

Back to News