Most Granite Staters support putting an end to New Hampshire's lonely status as the only state that doesn't require adults to wear seatbelts, according to a new poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center for the pro-buckling-up Seatbelts for All Coalition.

Whether the New Hampshire Senate agrees is a much harder question to answer - but I'll get to that in a minute.

Last week, the House brought the issue back to the fore when it voted by a wide margin in favor of the seatbelt bill, which fans describe as a common-sense public-health measure and foes describe as a nanny-state measure anathema to the state's Live Free or Die culture.

This month's poll showed that 64 percent of New Hampshire adults support a mandatory seatbelt law. Democrats, women and folks who are relatively new to the state are most likely to back such a new law; Republicans, men, folks under 29, families that make less than $30,000 and the unmarried are most likely to oppose, according to an analysis by the Survey Center's Andy Smith and Tracy Fowler.

The same poll (which surveyed 619 New Hampshire adults) found that 68 percent of adults say they always buckle up (6 percent never do). Of the fickle bucklers, 64 percent said they would wear it more if they were legally required to.

"Two-thirds is good," said Elaine Frank, who leads the coalition. "I mean, it's better than the Legislature!"

Back to the Senate, where the last seatbelt bill died on a surprise 16-8 vote. Any way you do the math, even if all the new members vote for seatbelts, it can't pass unless a few senators change their votes from last time.

Senate President Sylvia Larsen of Concord, who was among the no votes in 2007, said she would be "taking another look at it this year."

"One of the issues last time was that it had not been fully debated and there had not been time for people to be either elected or re-elected with the understanding

that this was under consideration," Larsen said.

She added: "I am aware of the increased safety that wearing seatbelts causes and reduced highway death. Those things weigh on my mind."

New Sen. Peggy Gilmour, a Democrat from Hollis, said Friday that she had just printed out the seatbelt commission's report and was preparing to tuck into it.

"I'm a nurse, so while I have a streak in libertarian in me, as a health care professional, I think I'm going to find that the data is compelling," she said. Among the things on her mind: Accident statistics and the impact of seatbelt usage on health care premiums for everyone. "I'm leaning toward it because I think it's good policy from a public health perspective."

Fellow new Sen. Matt Houde, a Democrat from Plainfield, concurred, saying he wanted to see the bill, but: "I would be hard-pressed to conceive of a situation where I wouldn't vote for it." He, too, cited health-care costs as a reason that seatbelt usage is more than a private choice. "That suggests to me that that's a place where your decision is, in fact, impacting someone else."

Several other senators did not return calls for comment. Gov. John Lynch said last week that he supports wearing seatbelts but had not decided on the bill, saying he hadn't even had a chance to read it yet because he's been spending so much time on the budget.

It is worth remembering that 2007 was the first year Democrats ruled the Legislature and they made some major changes then, including passing the civil unions bill and enacting a smoking ban.

Larsen said she couldn't predict the outcome in the Senate but thought others would reassess their votes this year.

"I think there are some who felt like I did that it may be a good idea, but we wanted a chance for the voters to weigh in," she said.

Heck of a primary

Democratic U.S. Reps. Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter would have a heck of a primary if both jumped into the race to fill Sen. Judd Gregg's seat in 2010, according to common sense and a new University of New Hampshire poll that tested both congressfolks statewide.

The base likes Carol: The poll showed that Shea-Porter statewide is more popular among Democrats, with 64 percent rating her favorably and 2 percent unfavorably, 9 percent neutral and 25 percent saying they don't know. Hodes rated a 53 percent approval rating among Democrats statewide, with 2 percent disliking him, 14 percent neutral and 31 percent saying they don't know.

But Hodes could come back with the ol' electability argument: Republicans find him easier to live with, with 18 percent rating him favorably and 28 unfavorably. Shea-Porter, on the other hand, gets favorable numbers from 13 percent of Republicans and a thumbs-down from 50 percent.

A few other numbers that jumped out: Shea-Porter cleans up among women (45 percent approval; Hodes gets 36 percent), Obama-Biden voters (60 percent approval; Hodes gets 49 percent), union households (42 percent approval; Hodes gets 33 percent), and on the Seacoast (51 percent approval; Hodes gets 25 percent).

Hodes, on the other hand, owns the Connecticut Valley (54 percent approval; Shea-Porter gets 43 percent), and does better in Manchester than Shea-Porter, even though she represents the Queen City (34 percent approval to Shea-Porter's 28 percent.) Hodes also does a better with McCain-Palin voters than his potential rival, with 22 percent approving of the 2nd District congressman, while 12 percent of such voters like Shea-Porter.

For the record, Hodes has declared a run for Senate - but Shea-Porter hasn't ruled it out.

He means it

When he revealed his plans to run for Senate earlier this month, Hodes said he hoped the announcement would let him "put politics aside and really focus on my job as congressman."

But putting aside politics is never that easy. Hodes has already filed the paperwork to create a fundraising committee for his Senate bid. (There's also a website: paulhodesforsenate.com.) The filing was hand-delivered to the Federal Election Committee on Feb. 12. It lists a box at the UPS store on South Main Street in Concord as the committee address. So, if you can't wait for a formal invitation to contribute, you know where to send your check.

Holding out hopes

The man charged with electing Republicans to the Senate, John Cornyn, told Roll Call last week that he will ask Gregg to rethink his decision to retire in 2010 - a choice that has catapulted New Hampshire's Senate race to the top of pundits' watch list for the second time in two cycles.

As Cornyn put it to Roll Call: "From my standpoint, he's changed his mind once; I'd love to see him change it again."

Friends again?

Gregg announced last week that he would be joining his would-be boss Barack Obama at the White House this week for a Fiscal Responsibility Summit to hash over the $67 trillion-or-so problem that is entitlement spending.

Gregg pledged to do everything he can to stop the "fiscal tsunami that is headed our way."

"I will certainly do everything I can to work with the president and others in Congress to set a course for the long-run that addresses the issue of how we pass on to our children a government they can afford," Gregg said.

New guy

The Democratic Party has hired Shea-Porter campaign veteran Wyatt Fore as its new field director.

Snow day

You know that way you felt when you were a kid on a snowy day and the kids in the next town over got a snow day? Half "no fair" and half "I don't even give a care"? Well, apparently the Vermont Legislature got that feeling last month when the General Court called a snow day Jan. 28.

Mischievous Vermont legislators passed a resolution "recognizing the greater weather fortitude of the Vermont General Assembly in comparison to the New Hampshire General Court."

The resolution paid tribute to each state's forbears, like Vermont's Ethan Allen, and New Hampshire's Daniel Webster.

It went on: "Whereas, sadly for the citizens of the Granite State, these seemingly obvious, undeniable and historic presumptions were refuted and shattered on the morning of January 28, 2008, when the mere forecast of a large snowfall, nary a blizzard, sent its trembling solons to the protection of their homesteads."

It resolved: "That the General Assembly wishes the members of the New Hampshire General Court a comfy snooze on a typical northern New England day."

It's a tough year, and I'm sure lawmakers everywhere are looking for something to cheer about, even if it's an old-fashioned, Snow Day neener-neener.

In a statement, New Hampshire House Speaker Terie Norelli gave the Vermonters a cold shoulder: "While we appreciate the tongue-in-cheek manner of the Vermont Legislature, we have been much too busy conducting the business of the citizens of New Hampshire to craft a response."

Yes on taxes

According to a UNH poll commissioned by anti-tobacco groups, a whopping 70 percent of voters support a $1 hike in the cigarette tax.

Strand lands

Kathleen Strand, a veteran of the Hillary Clinton campaign and the New Hampshire Democratic Party, has signed on as a Chicago-based consultant at a new political strategy firm called the Dover Group.

Adieu, Arnie

I'll miss Arnie Arnesen's Political Chowder television show, which was salty and insightful. And just in case you missed it, look online to see her final-week interview with John H. Sununu. At one point, as the pair debate the rights and wrongs of ACORN, Sununu tells Arnesen "Shame! Shame!"

(Daniel Barrick and Margot Sanger-Katz contributed to this column.)