Frank S. Niceley serves in the Tennessee House of Representatives

Tennessee House of Representatives

The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional requirements:...

, representing District 17 which encompasses parts of Knox County

Knox County, Tennessee

Knox County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its 2007 population was estimated at 423,874 by the United States Census Bureau. Its county seat is Knoxville, as it has been since the creation of the county. The county is at the geographical center of the Great Valley of East Tennessee...

 and the majority of Jefferson county

Jefferson County, Tennessee

*...

. A native of the district, Niceley was born on March 3, 1947 in Knox County. It is here that Niceley was raised around agriculture. After graduating from Jefferson County High School and later (in 1969) from the University of Tennessee

University of Tennessee

The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...

, he and his wife, Cindie, moved their residence to neighboring Jefferson County, where he began his career as a farmer

Farmer

A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...

 and businessman.

Tennessee House of Representatives

Niceley served in the Tennessee House from 1988 to 1992 (96th and 97th Tennessee General Assemblies). He was elected again in 2004 to serve in the 104th General Assembly, and won re-election in 2006 and 2008 to serve in the 105th and 106th General Assemblies. During his time as a State Representative, he has been a member of the House Agriculture Committee, the House Conservation and Environment Committee, House Environment Subcommittee, and the House Parks and Tourism Subcommittee.

Locally, Niceley serves with the Farm Bureau, which enables financial services to farmers, and the National Rifle Association

National Rifle Association

The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...

.

Niceley has argued against making cockfighting a felony in Tennessee and helped defeat a bill raising the $50.00 fine to $2,500.00, saying that cockfighting is a cultural tradition "They pay their taxes. They're not bothering anybody. I don't know what the big deal is." He also noted it brings in tourist dollars from other states. "They buy food, they stay in hotels, they buy gas,” he said.
Chattanooga Free Press, May 21, 2011.

Barack Obama birthplace controversy

In 2009, Niceley was one of four Republican members of the Tennessee House to announce plans to join a legal action to force President Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

to release his birth certificate and prove his citizenship.

External links

• Rep. Frank S. Niceley, Tennessee General Assembly web site