He was described in most news stories following his appointment simply as a former Reagan cabinet member. But there's a good deal more to know. The CNP is a secretive group of almost 500 right-wing political, religious and business leaders who meet regularly to plot public policy. Fellow board members include Oliver North, Gary Bauer and Howard Phillips. Hodel served as the Chairman of the Board for Colorado's Independence Institute, a right-wing think tank that supports educational vouchers, term limits and a flat income tax, and opposes affirmative action and multicultural curriculum in public schools.
Independence leads the effort in Colorado to abolish compulsory education.
A recent issue paper from the Institute, No More Wacos, claims to be the definitive book on the subject. He is also a member of the Board of the Federalist Society, an organization of lawyers, judges and students dedicated to bringing conservative and libertarian ideas into law schools and the organized bar. The Society has joined in the recent Religious Right efforts to limit judicial authority and has proposed abolishing judicial review, dividing the Supreme Court into separate chambers, and instituting term limits for Supreme Court justices. Other members of the board include Robert Bork, former Reagan Attorney General Edwin Meese, and Senator Orrin Hatch. Last year Hodel served as interim executive vice president of Focus on the Family and is currently on the ministry's board.