Milton Nicks

Milton J. Nicks, Jr.
Arkansas State Representative for District 50 (Crittenden and Cross counties)
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 2015
Born	October 3, 1950 Earle, Crittenden County Arkansas, USA
Nationality	African American
Political party	Democrat
Spouse(s)	Joann Nicks
Children	Four children Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Milton Nicks, Sr.
Residence	Marion, Crittenden County
Occupation	Baptist pastor Construction businessman Former Arkansas State Police officer

Milton J. Nicks, Jr. (born October 3, 1950),^[1] is the pastor of the Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church in his native Earle in Crittenden County, Arkansas. He is a Democrat state representative for District 50, which includes Crittenden and Cross counties in the eastern part of his state.^[2]

Nicks resides in the larger city of Marion, also in Crittenden County. He is the chief executive officer of Nicks Construction Company. Like his colleague Dwight Crandall Tosh of Jonesboro in Craighead County. Nicks is a retired officer of the Arkansas State Police. He is a trustee of the Crittenden County Crime Stoppers Board. He is a former trustee, who served under gubernatorial appointment, of Arkansas State University-Mid South, formerly known as Mid-South Community College, an institution in West Memphis, Arkansas. He is a former vice president of the Chamber of Commerce and is a one-time board member of Crittenden Regional Hospital, both in West Memphis.^[3][2]

Nicks defeated his fellow African American, the incumbent House District 50 Democrat Fred Smith, a former professional basketball player, in a low-turnout primary held on May 20, 2014. Nicks polled 1,109 votes (67.1 percent) to Smith's 544 (32.9 percent). Nicks was then unopposed in the November 4 general election. Relected in 2016, 2018, and 2020, he is eligible to serve in the House until 2030.^[4] Representative Nicks holds these committee assignments: (1) Joint Performance Review, (2) City, County and Local Affairs, and (3) Public Transportation.^[2] Nicks is the chaplain of the Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus.^[5]

In February 2015, Nicks was one of twenty legislators who opposed House Bill 1228, authored by Republican Bob Ballinger of Carroll County in northwestern Arkansas,^[6] which sought to prohibit government from imposing a burden on the free exercise of religion.^[7] Representative Camille Bennett, a Democrat from Lonoke, called for a reworking of the legislation.^[8] She claimed the Ballinger bill would establish a "type of religious litmus test" which could impact nearly any law under consideration by the legislature.^[6] Ballinger's bill was subsequently signed into law in revised form, SB 975, by Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson.^[9]

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