U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel wrote on Monday that some of the abortion restrictions passed by the Texas Legislature are unconstitutional and will not take effect on Tuesday as had been scheduled, The Associated Press reported.
Yeakel wrote that the regulations "violated the rights of abortion doctors to do what they think is best for their patients and would unreasonably restrict a woman's access to abortion clinics," news reports said.
The lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court by Planned Parenthood on behalf "of more than a dozen women's healthcare providers across Texas - alleged the law violates the constitutional rights of women and puts unreasonable demands on doctors who perform abortions," CNN reported
"The court upheld a second measure, requiring doctors to use a particular drug protocol in nonsurgical, medication-induced abortions that doctors called outdated and too restrictive," The New York Times reported.
"The medication-abortion provisions may not be enforced against any physician who determines, in appropriate medical judgment, to perform a medication-abortion using the off-label protocol for the preservation of the life or health of the mother," argued Judge Yeakel.
Texas Governor Rick Perry vowed that that he and others will keep fighting, in spite of Monday's ruling
"Today's decision 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. We will continue fighting to implement the laws passed by the duly-elected officials of our state, laws that reflect the will and values of Texans," Perry said.
The abortion law was challenged in June by a 13-hour filibuster by state Senator Wendy Davis who recently announced her intentions to run for Governor.
