State Sen. Charlie Shields described Missouri as a 30-something state to St. Joseph’s business and community leaders Friday.

The state ranks 38th in the nation for having a healthy population, 30th for people who pursue education past high school and 33rd for meeting family incomes, said Mr. Shields, the keynote speaker of a St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce “St. Joe Rising” breakfast.

The St. Joseph Republican and Missouri Senate president pro tem attributed the less-than-average rankings to an absence of foresight.

“Missouri easily is a $23 billion organization that lacks a strategic plan,” he said at the Fulkerson Center on the Missouri Western State University campus.

During an overview of the 2009 legislative session, Mr. Shields’ first term at the helm of the Senate, he said he was pleased overall with progress on legislation aimed at economic development and the bipartisan budget process, but some business remains undone.

“If I had to look at the one missed opportunity, it would probably be health care,” said Mr. Shields, Heartland Health’s chief marketing officer.

The legislature adjourned without approving an attempt at expanding state health care eligibility and coverage to uninsured Missourians this spring.

“The Senate will not rest until we work on that coverage issue,” Mr. Shields said.

In fact, he has created a long-term committee to address health care, part of a long-range planning effort he dubbed as a first for Missouri government.

It’s one of three 2020 committees Mr. Shields established this year for first-term senators. The two other committees, charged with coming up with a state vision for the topic by the year 2020, focus on job creation and educating the work force.

He said he hoped having more unified long-term goals could shift the state to the top 10 instead of the top 30s.

“Your vision for strategic planning at the state level is long overdue,” said Chamber President Ted Allison.

In other chamber news, Mr. Allison gave a last plug for the Downtown tax-increment financing proposal that the City Council is set to vote on Monday.

“I’m hoping for the best on that. We need every tool we can muster for Downtown revitalization,” he said.

Western President Dr. Bob Vartabedian is scheduled as the keynote speaker of the next “St. Joe Rising” chamber breakfast, slated for Sept. 25.

Alyson E. Raletz can be reached

at alysonraletz@npgco.com.