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State Rep. Chris Rants believes that if the Republicans want to win the governor's office, they must offer voters solutions rather than a list of things they oppose.

The Republican from Sioux City wants to be the governor, and on Tuesday night he told a Fort Dodge audience that his proposed solutions include statewide standards for schools and a property tax reform that would reduce how much money homeowners must pay to support education.

His emphasis on solutions didn't stop Rants from taking a few jabs at Democratic Gov. Chet Culver. He suggested that Culver isn't being entirely forthcoming about the $1 billion budget deficit or the number of jobs created by the Iowa Power Fund.

''Good news or bad news, you always should be able to take what the governor tells you and believe it and that's not true anymore,'' Rants said.

''I don't think he's being really honest about the budget,'' he added.

About 25 people attended the candidate's speech at the Webster County Republican Headquarters, 900 Central Ave.

In response to a question from the audience, Rants said he supports a constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriage.

On a different topic, he said there should be mandatory minimum prison sentences for employers who are convicted of knowingly hiring illegal immigrants. He didn't say how long he believes such prison sentences should be.

Rants said he thinks the state should take a greater role in attacking illegal immigration.

''If we can't get the feds to deport them, we can drive them down ourselves,'' he said.

Democrats, he said, aren't interested in dealing with illegal immigration.

Returning to his theme of offering positive solutions, Rants outlined how he would address the budget deficit if he's elected governor.

He said reopening contract negotiations with the state's largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, would be his first move.

Rants said he would abolish the state's $100 million Power Fund, which Culver proposed to help develop alternative energy use in Iowa. He said funding education is a higher priority for him.

He said he would also reduce state purchases. He said the state recently purchased $11 million worth of vehicles. Rants said that's the kind of spending that should be reduced.

Rants was formerly the speaker of the House and later, the House Republican leader.

Now he is seeking the Republican nomination for governor. So far, he faces Cedar Rapids businessman Christian Fong; state Rep. Rod Roberts, of Carroll; and Bob Vander Plaats, of Sioux City, who was the party's candidate for lieutenant governor in 2006.

Contact Bill Shea at (515) 573-2141 or bshea@messengernews.net