The Arizona Legislature has passed legislation that would tighten policies on asset seizures, leaving it up to Gov. Doug Ducey to decide whether to overhaul the state's civil forfeiture laws.

Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery is asking Gov. Doug Ducey to veto legislation to make it more difficult for him and other prosecutors to seize property unless changes are made in the measure.

Without a single dissent, state senators approved changes Monday in Arizona laws designed to sharply curb the ability of prosecutors and police to seize property.

The head of the Arizona Police Association is rejecting arguments that legislation to include rioting in racketeering and conspiracy statutes will chill the rights of Arizonans to protest.

A wide-ranging measure to reform the state’s civil asset forfeiture laws would scrap the current standard that requires prosecutors to prove only by a “preponderance of the evidence” that the property is linked to a crime. That standard essentially means it is more likely than not, akin to a 51-49 percent balance.

The 15-year-long “bromance” between Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert, and Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery may have come to a crushing end right around Valentine’s Day.

Members of the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council spoke frankly about their strategy for killing a bill proposed by Republican Rep. Bob Thorpe of Flagstaff during a recent meeting to discuss possible law enforcement related bills. Thorpe has said his goal is to add transparency and accountability in the civil forfeiture laws.

Arizona law enforcement agencies have spent more than $57 million since 2008 through a federal program granting money and other property seized from those suspected of crimes, a Cronkite News review found.