Tom Homer
Tom Homer

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Former lawmaker and appellate court justice Tom Homer is ending a decade-long tenure as the Illinois General Assembly’s first inspector general.

The 67-year-old says there’s been improvement in the ethical environment since a 2003 ethics law created his post. But Homer believes more can be done.

He says the inspector general should not need permission from an ethics commission of eight lawmakers to investigate a complaint.

He says it should be illegal for legislators to vote on issues that pose a conflict of interest.

Homer investigated 163 complaints and turned 11 over to state and federal law enforcement officials — some of which led to criminal convictions.

His replacement will be named by a three-fifths vote of both houses of the General Assembly.

(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)