by the appellate courts or the U.S. Supreme Court," said Abbott spokeswoman Lauren Bean.

Gov. Rick Perry, in a statement Monday, said the court's ruling "will not stop our ongoing efforts to protect life and ensure the women of our state aren't exposed to any more of the abortion-mill horror stories that have made headlines recently."

Sen. Wendy Davis, the Fort Worth Democrat running for governor who was propelled into the national spotlight with a nearly 13-hour abortion filibuster over the summer, said she was not surprised by Monday's court decision.

"As a mother, I would rather see our tax dollars spent on improving our kid's schools rather than defending this law," she said in a statement.

A Texas Right to Life official said the organization was not surprised at Yeakel's ruling,given his previous judgment that it was unconstitutional to exclude abortion affiliates in the Texas Women's Health Program. She said the organization looks forward to how the matter plays out in the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which overturned Yeakel's judgment on the Women's Health Program law and ruled in favor of Texas' law requiring women seeking an abortion to have a sonogram.

"We' re ready for the next round," said Emily Horne, a legislative associate with Texas Right to Life.

Time an issue

Monday's ruling stems from a lawsuit filed last month by Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union. Last week, Yeakel heard three days of testimony and arguments in Austin. Abortion-rights groups testified that requiring doctors to get admitting privileges in