Even so, arms experts said they welcomed the airing of the issue by the council, which favors strict limits on nuclear arms and materials.

Advocacy groups that favor limits on immigration have hailed that stance.

By nearly 2 to 1, they favored 6-year limits over 12-year limits.

By 1974, a survey showed Floridians favored limits on development, and 60 percent urged more government funding for conservation.

Both say they favor limits on spending for domestic programs.

Traditionally, commercial fishermen have opposed such wholesale closings of fishing areas as too drastic, instead favoring limits on particular species.

Mr. Brown now favors limits on the length of terms of elected officials, but in 1990 he opposed them.

The Assembly Democrats said they favored five-year limits for both types of welfare.

But even some of the freshmen firebrands said today that they would favor 12-year limits over none at all.

The last time they were asked, in a 2003 referendum, 72 percent favored keeping limits in place.