ST. PAUL — Minnesota House Speaker Kurt Daudt insisted Monday that he won’t support spending $10,000 on a Capitol office door that his aides had approached construction planners about installing as part of the building’s ambitious restoration.

The top legislative Republican moved to distance himself from pricey fixtures that would be paid for by a sudden infusion of $2 million for furniture, decorative touches and other items in the remodeled Capitol. The Associated Press reported on the GOP’s back-channel push for extra money, which added 45 percent more to the original $4.5 million furnishings budget.

The costly door would have separated two offices controlled by the House majority, referred to in blueprints and by a Daudt aide in correspondence as “the Speaker and Majority Leader offices.” Daudt said no legislative member will occupy the space, but it will be used for meetings among lawmakers and with constituents.

Daudt said the door would have enhanced security in the space. He said he was under the impression the custom-made door would be put in at no additional cost and wasn’t aware of the price until The AP’s report, which cited internal documents from the Department of Administration.

“I think the space works better with a door in the doorway, but ultimately not having it is perfectly fine with us,” he told a meeting of the Capitol Preservation Commission, which must sign off on the plan for spending the extra $2 million. That vote could come this fall.

Other add-on features under discussion include hardwood flooring instead of carpeting for the same offices, higher-end upholstery on chairs and more historically compatible furniture throughout the Capitol.

Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton, who like Daudt sits on the preservation commission, vented about the way the furnishing money was pushed through as a late-added appropriation without full vetting by the Legislature. Other aspects of the renovation budget have been subject to numerous hearings.

“I don’t know how anybody reading that bill would have the foggiest idea of what that (wording) means,” Dayton said, adding that he would withhold judgment on the merits of the proposed features until examining them further. “It just seems to me there’s a lot of obfuscation going on here that’s beyond what’s really appropriate for the situation.”

Daudt said the $2 million was set aside as a contingency and he’d rather not see it spent. Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, a Democrat, had endorsed the extra spending but several rank-and-file legislators have expressed surprise about its purpose after details surfaced last week.

Separately Monday, the commission approved plans for $6.2 million in security features, such as extra exterior lighting, cameras and retractable gates that will limit vehicle traffic close to the building.

All told, the Capitol restoration is expected to cost $309 million and be finished in 2017.

The panel said it will consider a slate of celebratory events for the Capitol’s grand reopening. That could include fireworks, concerts on the lawn and a Minnesota-made beer showcase event in the Rathskeller cafeteria.

“No really planning work has been done,” Administration Commissioner Matt Massman cautioned. “This is shooting ideas at the wall.”