BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – Abortion rights supporters say a rewrite of Louisiana’s abortion clinic regulations is aimed at forcing clinics to close, as leaders in conservative Southern states continue to add new limitations to the procedure.

Louisiana’s health department says the 20-page revamp of clinic standards accounts for recent legislative changes, while also clarifying licensing requirements and staffing provisions to protect safety.

Critics packed a public hearing Thursday to oppose the regulation changes planned by Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration.

Ellie Schilling, a lawyer representing the state’s abortion clinics, said the new rules have burdensome paperwork requirements, far-reaching operational regulations and limited ways for a clinic to appeal when its license is yanked.

Louisiana’s regulation rewrite comes as several Southern states are tied up in legal battles over abortion restrictions they’ve added in recent years.

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1/29/2015 12:26:46 PM (GMT -6:00)