The Brief: Texan may have fueled Trump's unsupported voter fraud claim

Tribune Today

Is Ciudad Juárez on the brink of a new gang war? 
October was the deadliest month in Ciudad Juárez in nearly three years. Locals are anxious — and hopeful they're not witnessing a resurgence of the brutal drug war that plagued this Mexican border city from 2008 to 2011.

Texas to implement rules requiring burial or cremation of fetal remains
The rules will prohibit hospitals, abortion clinics and other health care facilities from disposing of fetal remains in sanitary landfills, allowing only cremation or burial. 

Texas moving forward with budget cuts for disabled kids' therapy services
In two weeks, Texas will officially enact cuts of Medicaid reimbursement rates for disabled children's therapy services. 

Lawmaker wants to crack down on illegal hiring by state contractors
A measure filed Monday by state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, would beef up punishment for employers that hire undocumented workers and seek to do business with the state.

Texas sees first locally transmitted case of the Zika virus
A woman in Cameron County who tested positive for the virus apparently contracted it from a mosquito bite. 

The Big Story

 On Sunday, President-elect Donald Trump tweeted — without evidence — that “millions” of people voted illegally in the Nov. 8 election, inviting a slew condemnation for doubting the U.S. electorate system. And his controversial claims both on and off Twitter have garnered the attention of many Texans. Here’s the story so far:

• The source of Trump’s unsubstantiated claim appears to be Gregg Phillips, a former Health and Human Services Commission executive. Following the election, Phillips tweeted that he discovered more than 3 million people who voted were not U.S. citizens — a claim later highlighted by InfoWars, a conspiracy theory website run by fellow Texan and Trump ally Alex Jones.

• However, Phillips has declined to provide proof of his claim, saying he will "release all methodologies, data and analysis directly to the public." He does not appear to have given any indication when that will happen.

• But Trump’s behavior has some worried about his ability to lead, including Art Sisneros, a Texas Republican elector who resigned from the Electoral College because he said he cannot "in good conscience" vote for the incoming president. In a blog post Saturday, Sisneros said he believed voting for Trump "would bring dishonor to God."

• Sisneros has previously been critical of Trump, raising the prospect that he could turn into a "faithless elector" — one who votes against the winner of the popular vote in his or her state. He ruled out that option in his blog post, writing that it "would be difficult to justify how being faithless could be a righteous act." Sisneros' decision, however, appears to be more driven by his religion than a desire to change the outcome.

What We're Reading

(Links below lead to outside websites; content might be behind paywall)

Women prepare for changes to reproductive health care access under Trump presidency, The Dallas Morning News

Making Crime Pay and Pay and Pay…, Texas Observer 

Former TCEQ chair meets with Trump as Cabinet rumors swirl, Houston Chronicle 

Dozens seek change on trans-friendly Dripping Springs school bathrooms, Austin American-Statesman 

Today in TribTalk

"In the aftermath of the U.S. presidential election, I've been reflecting on what it means to live in a post-truth world."

— Sara Stevenson, Public school librarian

Trib Events for the Calendar

•   A Symposium Previewing the 85th Legislature on Nov. 29 at The University of Texas - Texas Union Ballroom

•   A Conversation with Michael K. Young, President of Texas A&M University on Dec. 1 at The Austin Club

•   San Antonio & the Legislature: A Preview of the 85th on Dec. 2 at University of Texas at San Antonio – Downtown Campus

•   A Conversation with Sen.-elect Dawn Buckingham & Rep.-elect Hugh Shine on Dec. 8 at Temple College – Arnold Student Union

•   Health Care and the 85th Legislature on Dec. 15 at UT Health Science Center San Antonio - Pestana Lecture Hall

•   Trivia Night on Jan. 8 at The Highball 

•   A Conversation with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Jan. 11 at The Austin Club 

•   A Conversation with Reps. Dustin Burrows & Drew Darby on Jan. 19 at Howard College – West Texas Training Center

•   A Conversation with Sen. Kel Seliger & Rep. Brooks Landgraf on Feb. 17 at Odessa College – Saulsbury Campus Center