Quinn backs county ballot measure on gun laws

Gov. Pat Quinn has thrown his support behind a Cook County ballot measure that asks voters to weigh in on Illinois gun laws.

The Democrat called on county residents Thursday to support tougher gun laws through what he called "the power of the ballot box." He spoke at a Chicago church.

The Cook County Board voted Wednesday to put a nonbinding measure on the ballot. It asks whether Illinois should require universal background checks for gun sales and whether the state should ban assault weapons.

Quinn's made his own call for such a ban. He's also gone after Republican challenger Bruce Rauner on the issue, saying Thursday that his advocacy for tougher gun laws is a "fundamental" difference with Rauner

But the Rauner campaign calls Quinn's anti-crime policies "disastrous."