First elected to the Senate in 2014, Senator Paul Bettencourt represents Senate District 7, which encompasses most of West Harris County. He previously served 10 years, from 1998 - 2008, as the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector, where he introduced “Smart Government” at the Harris County Tax Office and developed a customer service-driven organization. His team created the first major county online property tax payment system and the first county tax office website with online vehicle registration in Texas. (His motto was “Get on-line, not in-line.”) He was well-known as the “Tax Man” for his outspoken efforts to cut property taxes. In the most recent Legislative Session, Senator Bettencourt successfully passed Senate Bill 2, the Texas Property Tax Reform and Transparency Act of 2019, by a vote of 21-9 to bring meaningful property tax reform and relief to all Texas taxpayers. This was the first major property tax reform legislation in almost 40 years, and the culmination of two decades of advocacy. He also continued his work on adult stem cell therapies in Texas by sponsoring HB 3148, building upon previous legislative sessions to get government out of the way, allowing new therapies to flourish and give terminally and chronically ill patients hope for a better quality of life. His work during the 86th Session earned him the distinction of “Senate MVP” by Capitol Inside, “Bull of the Brazos” by Texas Monthly, the Legislative Legacy Award by Texas Public Policy Foundation and he was given the “Citizen’s Choice Award” by Empower Texans. A champion for conservative solutions to Texas’ challenges, Bettencourt has built a strong reputation at the Capitol advocating for taxpayers. Senator Bettencourt is the Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government and serves on the Senate Finance, Education, and Criminal Justice committees. He has also been named to the Redistricting Committee by Lt. Governor Patrick. He also served as the Chair of the Senate Republican Caucus from January 2016 to February 2021. A Texas A&M University Bachelor of Science graduate with a degree in Industrial Distribution, Bettencourt is the President and CEO of a tax consulting company in Houston that has grown to forty employees. He is also a radio and television personality. The Senator and his wife Susan are active members of Saint John Vianney Catholic Church, where Paul is a fourth degree Knight of Columbus. Senate District 7 is located in Harris County and includes Bunker Hill Village, Hedwig Village, parts of Houston, Hunters Creek Village, Jersey Village, Piney Point Village, Spring, and Tomball.