A state Senate vote has been set for Feb. 1 on the agreement between the Malloy administration and state labor unions that would restructure how Connecticut funds its pension obligations. That’s far preferable to allowing such an important deal to pass into law by inaction. But it is only a start. Republicans should continue to press Democrats to present all labor contracts to a vote.

The General Assembly has 30 days to vote on any collectively bargained employee contract. Inaction results in approval without lawmakers having to take a stand. Democrats, long in control of the legislature, have consistently opted for the no-vote option.

The 30-day deadline for the pension agreement is Feb. 3. House leaders say they plan a vote before the deadline, too.

According to the agreement, the state in making its pension contribution calculations would base its math on a 6.9 percent annual rate of return, replacing the current, unreasonably optimistic 8 percent number.

The deal extends to the mid-2040s the contributions necessary to make up for decades of negligent underfunding. Extending ends up costing the state more, but keeps the contributions at around $2 billion annually, give or take a few hundred million dollars. That avoids a budget-busting peak of $6 billion that otherwise would arise around 2032.

It is a reasonable plan and the credit rating agencies have looked upon it positively. It warrants legislative approval.

Our primary regret is that Gov. Dannel P. Malloy missed the chance to tie the refunding plan to getting concessions from the unions. The state, for example, should stop the practice of allowing overtime income to boost lifetime pension payments. Connecticut should ask employees to contribute more to the pension system. A cap on the size of pension payments is another reasonable reform.

Malloy said his administration continues negotiating with union leaders, discussions he considers separate from the pension restructuring. He expects to achieve some labor concessions.

Republicans, with their 17-17 split in the Senate and narrow six-vote deficit in the House, are in a strong position to push Democrats to bring the eventual contract deals to the legislature. That possibility should, in turn, strengthen Malloy’s hand at the bargaining table.

It is in the self-interest of the state labor unions to help Malloy and the legislature return Connecticut to fiscal sustainability. If union negotiators know any final deal must then win the approval of the legislature, it could well provide the necessary incentive for them to be more accommodating.