With elections right around the corner, the Butler County GOP held a meeting Tuesday night with both incumbent and challenging politicians addressing issues that concern citizens from a national and personal level.

Butler County GOP chairman Cleve Poole introduced State Rep. Chris Sells (R – Greenville) and 2nd Congressional District Rep. Martha Roby to speak to an intimate crowd of local Republicans.

Sells took the stage first, detailing his most recent visit to Montgomery and the challenges facing the state.

“My main focus is the future for this state and our children,” Sells said.

“We need a plan for the next 10 or 20 years to improve our state.  If we want to have a successful state, we need to have a plan to be successful.  You just can’t wait for something to happen—we’ve got to make it happen.

“Next year’s going to be just as challenging.  We’ve got a lot going on with the speaker, and his trial starts in March.  The general fund budget’s going to be short, and gambling is going to be the No. 1 thing you’re going to hear about next year.  The people who aren’t represented in Montgomery are the children, and we’ve got to look out of their future.”

Roby then shared her concerns regarding the nation’s attention to defense, calling it a priority for the future of the United States and national security interests at large.

“I don’t believe that it’s an accident that we have ISIS growing exponentially and Vladimir Putin on the rise,” Roby said.

“When the United States of America is not at the helm—or appearing not to be at the helm, because we are—and there seems to be a void in leadership when it comes to our national security, somebody else is going to make that reach.  It’s a dangerous world, and we—the United States of America—need to continue to demonstrate peace through strength.”

Also, with the Benghazi Select Committee’s questioning of Hilary Clinton beginning next week, Roby expressed her feelings on the nature of the committee despite contrary statements made by various other GOP congressmen.

“I just want to tell you that this is not about Hillary Clinton,” Roby said.

“This investigation is about finding out the truth on behalf of four Americans who unnecessarily lost their lives.  Hillary Clinton was secretary of state when that happened and we have questions that we need her to answer in order to complete our investigation.  But despite what is being said in the news, this is not about Hillary Clinton.”

Roby also briefly touched on the state of the broken nature of Veterans Affairs in Alabama, as well as the jumbled message in an overwhelming sea of presidential candidates, but Roby addressed a different segment of the crowd for her final, and perhaps most important, message.

“As for the young folks that are here tonight—I’ll ask you for your vote, but I’ll never tell you who to vote for,” Roby said.

“Just vote, and encourage everyone around you.  I didn’t turn 18 until the summer after I graduated from high school, but a lot of your friends will.  It is such a precious, precious right that many people have shed blood over, and we shouldn’t ever let an election go by that we don’t participate in.”