Annapolis businesses hope end of Maryland General Assembly session makes way for booming tourist season

Over the last two weeks, Barb Ripani has seen a change in the clientele who walk into Potato Valley on State Circle in Annapolis. From January to April, Ripani corrals hordes of politicians, lobbyists and legislative aides who crowd into the popular lunch spot she’s co-owned for 27 years. She knows about half of their orders by heart, she said. But after Monday, nearly all of those regular customers will disappear when the 2022 Maryland General Assembly session adjourns.