Topeka ? The budget may be tight and finding funds for public schools difficult, but state officials are planning to spend $3 million to buy new furniture for the Capitol.

It’s part of the $135 million restoration of the Kansas Statehouse.

The first bids to buy new furniture for the building’s east wing, which is currently under renovation, will go out within two months.

Statehouse architect Barry Greis said the restoration plan called for spending about $750,000 for furniture for each of the four wings of the Capitol.

He said the price tag might seem high, but for the design criteria it was a conservative estimate.

Some lawmakers’ offices will have “historic-appropriate” furniture that reflects design styles from the early 1900s. Other offices will have more contemporary furniture.

In future phases of work, the 125 desks in the House chamber will be replaced, but the Senate desks will be kept, Greis said.

House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka, said the furniture was needed.

“The furniture in this building is falling apart,” he said.

Though it may appear like an unnecessary expense, Mays said, “It’s something that needs to be done from time to time. Hopefully, it will last for decades.”

The expenditure comes as the Legislature continues to face no-frills budgets and is now under a court-ordered deadline to increase school funding, which at $2.7 billion is already 50 percent of state spending.

The Kansas Supreme Court declared that lawmakers failed its constitutional duty “to make suitable provision” for school funding. It gave the Legislature until April 12 to fix the system.

Kathy Cook, executive director of Kansas Families United for Public Education, said the furniture expense didn’t trouble her as much as some other things the Legislature was doing.

“I’d rather see the money go toward education, but $3 million isn’t going to fix school finance,” she said.

Cook said she was upset that last week the Senate passed a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on the fourth day of the session.

“I feel they should be focused on school finance and putting everything else on the back burner,” she said.