Niceley is a native of Knox County and of the district he served in the state House of Representatives. He was raised around agriculture. After graduating from Jefferson High School, Niceley attended the University of Tennessee, where he received a bachelor's degree in soil science in 1969. Subsequently, he and his wife, Cyndie, moved their residence to neighboring Jefferson County, where he began his career as a farmer 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 Tennessee Hunter Alliance, and the Farm Bureau, which enables financial services to farmers.[1]
Niceley has argued against making cockfighting a felony in Tennessee and helped defeat a bill that would have increased the $50 fine for cockfighting to $2,500, saying that cockfighting is a cultural tradition. He said: "They pay their taxes. They're not bothering anybody. I don't know what the big deal is." He also noted that cockfighting brings in tourist dollars from other states. "They buy food, they stay in hotels, they buy gas," he said.[2][3]
During a Tennessee House committee hearing in February 2012, Niceley declared that coyotes had been introduced to Tennessee by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) for purpose of controlling the wild deer population, but had subsequently become pests that attack livestock. This allegation was investigated by PolitiFact Tennessee. PolitiFact determined that coyotes had arrived in the state naturally, without any involvement by the TWRA. Stating that Niceley had repeated an "urban myth" that had been debunked previously, PolitiFact characterized his statement as a "real howler" and categorized it as "Pants On Fire", indicating a statement that "is not accurate and makes a ridiculous claim".[6]
In 2022, while speaking in favor of a bill that would make camping on any public property punishable by a $50 fine, Niceley cited Adolf Hitler as an example of someone who worked his way out of homelessness. Niceley stated, "So, all these people — it's not a dead end, they can come out of this, these homeless camps, and have a productive life or in Hitler's case, a very unproductive life."[8][9]
^Harrison, Kate (May 21, 2011). "Bill to boost cockfighting penalty again defeated: May is prime cockfighting season". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Chattanooga, Tenn. p. B1. ProQuest867912119.
^Pacelle, Wayne (June 23, 2011). "Other Views: Tennessee laxity lures criminals to fights". Opinion. The Tennessean. Vol. 107, no. 174. Nashville, TN: Gannett Co., Inc. p. A10. Newspapers.com283855862.
^Emery, Theo (February 13, 2009). "Four Tennessee legislators want Obama to prove citizenship / 4 legislators to be part of Obama suit". Local News. The Tennessean. Vol. 105, no. 44. Nashville, TN: Gannett Media Corp. p. B2. ISSN1053-6590. ProQuest239917425, Newspapers.com283321442.
