Texas can cut off funding to Planned Parenthood's family planning programs for poor women, a state judge ruled Monday.

Judge Gary Harger said that Texas may exclude otherwise qualified doctors and clinics from receiving state funding if they advocate for abortion rights. 

The state has long banned the use of state funds for abortion, but had continued to reimburse Planned Parenthood clinics for providing basic health care to poor women through the state's Women's Health Program. The program provides check-ups and birth control to 110,000 poor women a year, and Planned Parenthood clinics were treating 48,000 of them. 

Planned Parenthood's lawsuit to stop the rule will still go forward, but the judge decided Monday that the ban may go into effect for now. In seeking a temporary restraining order, Planned Parenthood's patients could have continued to see their current doctors until a final decision was made. 

"We are pleased the court rejected Planned Parenthood's latest attempt to skirt state law," attorney general spokeswoman Lauren Bean said. "The Texas Attorney General's office will continue to defend the Texas Legislature's decision to prohibit abortion providers and their affiliates from receiving taxpayer dollars through the Women's Health Program." 

Ken Lambrecht, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, said he brought the lawsuit on behalf of poor women who depend on its clinics. 

"It is shocking that once again Texas officials are letting politics jeopardize health care access for women," Lambrecht said. "Our doors remain open today and always to Texas women in need. We only wish Texas politicians shared this commitment to Texas women, their health, and their well-being." 

Planned Parenthood has brought three lawsuits over Texas' so-called "affiliate rule," arguing it violates the constitutional rights of doctors and patients while also contradicting existing state law. 

Republican lawmakers who passed the affiliate rule last year have argued that Texas is an anti-abortion state, and therefore should cut off funds to groups that support abortion rights. Gov. Rick Perry, who vehemently opposes abortion, has pledged to do everything legally possible to shut down Planned Parenthood in Texas and welcomed the court's ruling. 

"Today's ruling finally clears the way for thousands of low-income Texas women to access much-needed care, while at the same time respecting the values and laws of our state," Perry said. "I applaud all those who stand ready to help these women live healthy lives without sending taxpayer money to abortion providers and their affiliates." 

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has spent the last nine months preparing to implement the affiliate rule. But federal officials warned it violated the Social Security Act and cut off federal funds for the Women's Health Program, prompting the commission to start a new program using only state money. 

State officials have also scrambled to sign up new doctors and clinics to replace Planned Parenthood. Women who previously went to Planned Parenthood clinics will now have to use the agency's web site to find a new state-approved doctor. 

On Friday, HHSC officials acknowledged they are unsure whether the new doctors can pick up Planned Parenthood's caseload in all parts of the state. 

Linda Edwards Gockel, a spokesman for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, said Monday that the new state program will launch as planned on Tuesday. 

"We have more than 3,500 doctors, clinics and other providers in the program and will be able to continue to provide women with family planning services while fully complying with state law," she said. "We welcome Planned Parenthood's help in referring patients to providers in the new program." 

Democratic lawmakers continued to question whether women will have to wait longer for appointments and services. 

"I vehemently disagree with the state's efforts to blacklist a qualified provider and, thereby, interfere with a woman's right to choose her own provider," said state Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin. "I will be submitting a letter to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, requesting a list of approved providers to gauge the outreach of the new program, and ensure that all qualified women throughout the state have access to its services." 

Another hearing is scheduled with a different judge for Jan. 11, where Planned Parenthood will again ask for an injunction to receive state funding.

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Some participants in Susan G. Komen for the Cure events, like this run in San Diego, have reconsidered their support in the wake of a controversy over Planned Parenthood funding this week.

Fierce controversy over a policy that cut -- then apparently restored -- funding for Planned Parenthood by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast-cancer charity has left some longtime supporters of both groups feeling whipsawed by the fallout.

Fans who’ve worn pink ribbons and jogged in Race for the Cure runs and those who’ve supported women’s reproductive health services had mixed reactions following news Friday that Komen had agreed to amend criteria that would have barred Planned Parenthood from future grants.

Some Komen supporters said the organization had alienated them forever by cutting funding in the first place based on perceived political pressure from anti-abortion groups.

“It’s difficult for me to want to continue to support Komen now,” said Peg Callaway, 63, a lawyer from Omak, Wash. “It makes me mistrust the organization.”

As the Associated Press first reported Tuesday, Komen had adopted criteria excluding Planned Parenthood from future grants for breast-cancer screening because it was under government investigation, citing a probe launched by a Florida congressman at the urging of anti-abortion groups.

The decision was made in December, but became public this week, igniting a firestorm of protest. By Friday, Komen appeared to back off the plan, saying it would fund existing Planned Parenthood grants, and that the agency would be eligible for future grants. Some critics said it wasn't clear how the decision actually would affect future grants.

Still, Callaway remained suspicious.

“They’ve done a lot of damage to themselves,” she said.

Others, however, said that Komen’s quick reversal made them want to give an agency another chance. Dina Lalli-Bender, 47, of Laurel Springs, N.J., said she participated last year in a Race for the Cure event in Philadelphia in memory of close friends and family members lost to breast cancer.

“I’ll continue to do the run now,” said Lalli-Bender, a senior manager at a trade show labor firm. “Now that they’ve changed their minds, maybe they’ve seen that people were outraged by it.”

But avid Komen supporters who had been cheered by what they saw as a strong stand against Planned Parenthood were dismayed that the agency appeared to back off.

“I was very disappointed to hear that the decision was reversed so quickly,” said Rita C. Hruschak, 69, a retired nurse from Webster, N.Y. “It was barely warming up the griddle. The hope for a positive change to some good morals was lost too soon.”

She pointed to Planned Parenthood’s huge base of support -- including $3 million and 10,000 Facebook fans raised during the three days of the controversy -- as evidence that the agency could fund breast cancer screenings on its own. Planned Parenthood previously had received about $700,000 a year from Komen.

“So you know, they don’t really need Komen’s help or support,” she said.

In an informal msnbc.com poll Thursday, more than 6,000 respondents considered whether the controversy would alter their donations to either group.

Some 73 percent of people of took the poll said it would increase their donations to Planned Parenthood, while about 17 percent said it would increase funding to Komen. Nine percent of respondents said they don’t donate to either group.

Only 1 percent said they’d continue donating to both.

Has the Komen decision, and then apparent reversal, changed how you feel about the organization? Tell us on Facebook.

Related:

Komen backs off decision on funding cuts

Too little, too late for Komen, bioethicist says

Under fire, Komen CEO denies politics in Planned Parenthood cuts
 

The founder and chief executive for Susan G. Komen for the Cure on Thursday flatly rejected accusations that the organization caved to political pressure in cutting ties to Planned Parenthood, a move that has ignited a firestorm of controversy.

In one of her first live comments since the Tuesday announcement, Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker told NBC’s Andrea Mitchell that the decision was made to revamp and strengthen the way the organization makes grants.

“This is not a political decision,” Brinker told Mitchell. “We operate from one set of standards every day."

Brinker said Komen’s motivations had been “mischaracterized” and that they stemmed from an overhaul of criteria for awarding funds.

“Many of the grants we were doing with Planned Parenthood do not meet the new standards,” Brinker said.

Her comments were challenged by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who also appeared on the show. Boxer accused Brinker of trying to “change the story,” in which officials first said that Planned Parenthood funds were being cut because of pending investigations.

“This is a complete revisionist comment she is making about why suddenly Planned Parenthood lost this funding,” Boxer said.

Mitchell questioned Brinker about the apparent growing anger over the decision, including a huge swell of response on Facebook and Twitter in which long-time supporters say they’re cutting up pink ribbons, a longtime symbol of the Komen group.

However, Brinker said she’s heard from many who back the decision.

“The responses that we are getting are really, really favorable,” Brinker said.