Idaho

Bedke: Idaho, feds will work well

Published

1 year ago

February 5, 2025

If President Donald Trump is successful in scrapping the U.S. Education Department, Idaho will be ready, Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke said Tuesday.

“We’ll do it better, we’ll do it cheaper, we’ll do it more efficiently,” he told about 400 people at the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber luncheon at The Coeur d’Alene Resort.

Trump is preparing an executive order to eliminate the Education Department, according to numerous news reports Tuesday. It would need congressional approval.

Bedke, responding to a question, cited Debbie Critchfield, superintendent of public education in Idaho, as saying the state “is ready to go. We can do this.”

The Education Department’s annual budget includes $15 billion for the education of students with disabilities. Bedke said Idaho would not walk away from its obligation for special needs students.

He said property owners would likely pick up more of the tab for schools if federal funds stop coming for education.

According to Idaho Education News, in the 2024-25 school year, 79% of public school funding was from the state, while 11.8% was from local taxes, and 9.4% was from the federal government. That comes out to $2.9 billion from the state, $450 million from local taxes and $351 million in federal money.

“If they don’t send the money, then that’s going to shift the responsibility back to you, the taxpayer, and we’re going to have the hard questions. What do we spend our money on and how are we going to prioritize?” Bedke said.

The lieutenant governor was filling in for Gov. Brad Little, who was called to Washington, D.C., for a meeting.

Bedke said Idaho is the fastest-growing, least-regulated state in the country, thanks to a string of pragmatic governors like Phil Batt, Dirk Kempthorne, Butch Otter and now, Little. He said “common-sense leadership” has found its way into Idaho policies.

“That foundation laid through decades is the reason the state is doing so well now,” he said.

Bedke said Idaho enjoyed a budget surplus of more than $1 billion for three years straight until it ended the 2024 fiscal year with a budget surplus of more than $50 million.

“We’re doing OK this year, too, not at the billion-dollar level,” he said.

Bedke said that since 2019, lower tax rates meant Idahoans kept $4.6 billion instead of giving it to the government.

“That money is at work in your pockets, not the state of Idaho,” he said.

He said Idaho needs welders, mechanics, electricians and truck drivers.

“Our economy is booming, and the good jobs are shifting to the trades,” Bedke said.

He said the Trump Administration’s new Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire Elon Musk is nothing new in Idaho. He said the state has always been fiscally conservative and was focused on the “toolbelt generation” long “before it became a headline in the Wall Street Journal.”

Bedke said Idaho will work well with the federal government under President Trump.

He said he recently received a call from the White House about being a liaison in the Pacific Northwest with other elected leaders to work with the federal government.

“That kind of blew me away,” he said.

He said communication between the federal and state governments is on the verge of a big change.

“I think Idaho is well positioned to step up into the areas where arguably the federal government should have never been,” he said.

Bedke said it was a breath of fresh air that the federal government reached out.

“I took that as a compliment to what we’ve been doing,” he said. “But that’s how we’ve been doing business in Idaho for all these years. That’s just what we do.”

People listen to Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke on Tuesday at The Resort.

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Idaho

Idaho Lottery results: See winning numbers for Powerball, Pick 3 on April 20, 2026

Published

32 seconds ago

April 21, 2026

Press Room

The results are in for the Idaho Lottery’s draw games on Monday, April 20, 2026.

Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on April 20.

Winning Powerball numbers from April 20 drawing

09-17-36-47-64, Powerball: 26, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 20 drawing

Day: 9-5-5

Night: 1-3-9

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 20 drawing

Day: 9-3-4-7

Night: 6-9-2-8

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from April 20 drawing

05-07-31-41-43, Star Ball: 07, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Idaho Cash numbers from April 20 drawing

05-12-27-33-45

Check Idaho Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 20 drawing

19-37-40-41-53, Bonus: 02

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Idaho Lottery drawings held ?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
Pick 4: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
Lucky For Life: 8:35 p.m. MT Monday and Thursday.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
5 Star Draw: 8 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Idaho Cash: 8 p.m. MT daily.
Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Idaho

The Camas Prairie is Biblical Idaho

Published

12 hours ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

I remember watching a documentary about Idaho’s wildlands. A narrator said there were probably many parts of the state where no human being has ever set foot. I believe that, but I stay relatively close to the highways. If I were 30 years younger, I would probably enjoy exploring the back country, but today, unless a plane takes me in and out, it’s not happening. I can’t say definitively that there is one spot that I find better than others. We’re surrounded by beautiful terrain, however. One place keeps calling me back.

Like a Scene from a Legendary Movie

When I go over the mountain between Gooding and Fairfield, I take time to stop at the overlook above the Camas Prairie. It reminds me of a scene in Exodus, where the Paul Newman character takes an American woman to look across a flat plain leading to Mount Tabor. He explains that’s the site where Deborah gathered her armies. It makes me feel there is something godly about the Camas Prairie. I keep going back to this spot. Sometimes I take along a folding chair and sit and look at the world below.

Slow Down and See the Work of the Creator

Fairfield may be nothing more than a blip as people speed down Route 20, but it’s their loss. On the other side of the highway is some of the prettiest country in Idaho. It’s going to be a lot less lush this spring, but drought conditions haven’t been nearly as severe in the central highlands. But if I’m granted a few more years by the Almighty, I plan to see the prairie for many more springs.

‘Miserable’: McCall 4th of July Getaway Gets Roasted

What was once a great little summer escape has become a total headache according to the internet

Gallery Credit: Mateo, 103.5 KISS FM

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Idaho

Idaho Lottery results: See winning numbers for Pick 3, Pick 4 on April 19, 2026

Published

1 day ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

The results are in for the Idaho Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on April 19.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing

Day: 9-5-1

Night: 8-0-6

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 19 drawing

Day: 2-7-0-3

Night: 4-3-3-3

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Idaho Cash numbers from April 19 drawing

15-28-31-38-45

Check Idaho Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 19 drawing

32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Idaho Lottery drawings held ?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
Pick 4: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
Lucky For Life: 8:35 p.m. MT Monday and Thursday.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
5 Star Draw: 8 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Idaho Cash: 8 p.m. MT daily.
Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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