New Mexico ? The governor said Tuesday he will veto a bill that would have required girls entering sixth grade to be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer.

Gov. Bill Richardson had indicated he would sign the bill after it passed the Legislature last month, but on Tuesday said he changed his mind after parents and doctors told him their concerns about the program.

The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Steve Komadina, said the governor “has the right to do what he thinks is best.”

But Komadina, an obstetrician and gynecologist, said he thought the legislation was good because it required parents to be informed of the vaccine’s advantages yet allowed them to opt out easily. “It will save lives,” Komadina said.