Connecticut leaders say new reports show the state’s pension funds are gaining ground after years of underfunding. The State Employees Retirement System added more than $2.3 billion, pushing its funded ratio to nearly 60 percent. The teachers’ fund grew by more than $1.6 billion and is now almost 64 percent funded. Officials credit tighter budget controls and extra payments that have topped $10 billion since 2021. Analysts say those moves will save taxpayers an estimated $18 billion over the next 20 years.