Senators Raymond J. Lesniak and Christopher "Kip" Bateman are central figures in the drafting of new legislation that would allow towns to determine whether they currently provide enough affordable housing, and allow them to use any financial means to meet their goals, including providing incentives for developers.The NAACP believes that the two senators present a conflict of interest due to their involvement with local law firms that represent several of the towns that would be affected by the changes.
"They have to represent their clients' interests," Colandus "Kelly" Francis, an executive board member with the NAACP, told NJ.com. "That's the way that it is. That's what happens in the real world. They would like to get you to believe that they can be fair and impartial, but in my experience it doesn't happen that way."