“The House version of the Mass Ready Act ignores the urgency of our climate threats,” said Dave McGlinchey, executive director of the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance. “It’s hard to call a bill ‘Mass Ready’ when it strips out [these] measures.”

State representatives have filed amendments to restore some of these provisions, and advocates expect the total amount the bill will authorize the state to borrow to increase.

“The jury is still out on that,” said David Melly, senior policy director for the Environmental League of Massachusetts. “We’ll wait and see what the final total is.”

The House is scheduled to vote on the bill on Wednesday. If the bill passes, it will head to a conference committee where legislators will try to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions.

House Speaker Ron Mariano and Representative Aaron Michlewitz, the chamber’s budget chief, praised the proposal in a joint statement as a step forward for the state’s climate and environment priorities. (Michlewitz did not return a request for an interview.)

“This legislation is the latest example of Massachusetts’ ironclad commitment to protecting our environment and to leading the fight against climate change,” the legislators said.

Senator Becca Rausch, Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, applauded the House for bringing the bill to the floor in a statement, noting several points of agreement between the chambers.

“Each chamber’s contributions add to the strength of the climate action and environmental protection policies and funding so critical to our communities and our Commonwealth,” she said.

Senator Jamie Eldridge said the overlap between the two bills was a positive sign that the legislature would get a version of the Mass Ready Act to the governor’s desk.

Eldridge, who authored the drought management legislation included in the Senate bill, said he’d continue to advocate for the policy, which would allow the state to establish outdoor watering restrictions during droughts — a “common sense change,” he said.

The plastic bag ban has been closely watched by environmentalists, who hope its inclusion in the Senate bond bill as opposed to passing it as a standalone piece of legislation will increase its chances of becoming law.

The provision passed by the Senate in April would allow retailers to offer reusable bags without a charge and recycled paper bags with a minimum 10-cent fee. It would also make plastic straws and utensils available only by request to customers.

Single-use plastic bags are already barred in about a dozen states across the country, including nearly all of New England. More than 160 Massachusetts cities and towns regulate them.

“Like many people, all I can do is think of sports metaphors these days,” said Janet Domenitz, the executive director of Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, a non-profit consumer advocacy organization. “This is definitely dropping the ball.”

Nancy Downes, field campaigns manager for Oceana in Massachusetts, said polling shows that the vast majority of voters in the state support policies that reduce single-use plastic. Oceana, an ocean conservation advocacy organization, is part of a coalition of more than 40 organizations pushing to reduce and eliminate plastic whenever possible in Massachusetts.

“The Massachusetts legislature has an opportunity to tackle the plastic pollution crisis in the Commonwealth, and voters are ready for this,” she said.

The ban has repeatedly failed in the legislature. The Senate has backed a ban at least four times, but the measure has never passed in the House. It is opposed by the plastic bag industry and some retailers.

“Affordability is clearly the top priority for our residents, and we thank the House of Representatives for being laser-focused on that fact,” said Jon Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts. He said the Senate language would raise the costs of buying from local retailers and push customers out of state.

Material from a previous Globe story was used in this report.

Kate Selig can be reached at kate.selig@globe.com. Follow her on X @kate_selig.

New Hampshire’s summer tradition, filled with chrome, leather, tattoos and motorcycles, is in full swing in the Lakes Region.

Known as the Nation’s oldest motorcycle rally, bike week’s epicenter is at Weirs Beach in Laconia, but events draw crowds as far south as the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon and a free food stop on Route 9 between Keene and Antrim.

Once known for its rowdiness, motorcycle week has become big business for the state, attracting thousands of riders who come here and spend money. It even got a kickoff from Gov. Kelly Ayotte this year.

“Laconia Motorcycle Week is a New Hampshire tradition for motorcycle enthusiasts, and I’m proud to welcome riders from across the country and the world for this iconic event,” Ayotte said.

Now in its 103rd year, bike week began in 1916 and became official in 1917. For those doing the math, the tradition missed a few years on account of world events, like the Great Depression and World War II, according to its history page.

A motorcyclist rides along Route 3 in Laconia on June 16, 2026. Credit: ALEX MILLER / For the Monitor

While Thursday’s forecast holds rain, conditions have been good the rest of the week.

“The riders who visit us each year are respectful, generous and passionate about the open road,” said Cynthia Makris, owner of The NASWA Resort and president of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association.

More information about this year’s Bike Week events can be found at https://laconiamcweek.com.