ATLANTA - A legislative committee has tabled legislation that would have shut down abortion clinics in Georgia.

Senate Rules Committee chairman Don Balfour, a Republican from Snellville, said after a meeting Friday that he decided to table the bill because of concerns about significant changes added to the bill the day before.

State Sen. Barry Loudermilk last week introduced the bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks. He introduced a new version Thursday that also said abortions could only be performed in licensed hospitals. That would effectively shut down abortion clinics in the state.

The Rules Committee did approve another bill Thursday that would allow people to sue doctors who perform abortions without following a series of steps outlined by the state.