PHOENIX — A bipartisan group of senators think they and their colleagues should know how it feels when they cut the pay of state workers.

A proposed constitutional amendment would automatically slash the pay of legislators to match anything taken from state workers.

Sen. Ken Cheuvront, D-Phoenix, the prime sponsor of SCR 1038, said he has been assured the measure will get a hearing.

Even if lawmakers approve, it won’t have any effect even if lawmakers proceed with the proposal by Gov. Jan Brewer to cut worker pay by 5 percent beginning April 1. That’s because the required constitutional change to do what Cheuvront proposes can’t take effect unless and until voters approve at the next general election later this year.

But Cheuvront said there needs to be something built into the system for the next time lawmakers start looking for places to save money.

“We should be following our lead,’’ he said. “If we are asking our employees to cut their salaries, we should be doing the same things ourselves.’’

Lawmakers now are paid $24,000 a year for what was originally considered a part-time job.

What also is immaterial, he said, is that what he is proposing won’t amount to a lot of money: A 5 percent cut in the pay of all 90 lawmakers amounts to just $108,000.

“But when state employees are seeing their salaries cut, there’s a lot of resentment out there that we’re not taking sacrifices also,’’ Cheuvront said.

 “We should be living by what we’re preaching.’’

Cheuvront acknowledged that the proposal on the table is coming not from lawmakers but from Gov. Jan Brewer. But he is not extending his proposal to cut the salary of the governor in cases where she or he signs legislation approving future pay cuts.

“The Legislature is the one making the decision,’’ he said.

Not everyone is enthusiastic about the plan.

Senate President Bob Burns, R-Peoria, said it fails to take into account that the last time lawmakers got a raise — something that voters have to approve — was in 1998. Voters have rejected subsequent efforts to increase the salary.

Since that time, though, the pay of other state workers has improved.

“We also have the argument that we don’t pay a legislator enough now to get quality people,’’ Burns added. “There are all kinds of people out there who say the reason we’ve got such bad legislators is we don’t pay them.’’

But Cheuvront said that, given the backing of members of both parties, he expects Senate approval. Supporters even include Senate Majority Whip Steve Pierce, R-Prescott.

But not everyone is enthusiastic

And the House?

“I don’t know,’’ he said. “Let them try to kill it.’’