DeKALB | Governor Pat Quinn will present his budget for the 2012 fiscal year today.

The center of the governor’s plan to pay the state’s bills is expected to be a new borrowing plan.

“Many are anticipating that the governor will want to sell bonds to pay the state’s bills, as he previously eluded to,” said Brad Hoey, team leader for NIU Media Relations and Internal Communications. “The governor is also expected to go over a number of issues pending right now in legislation.”

NIU President John Peters said the issues the university will be focused on are pension reform, general funds appropriations, and MAP Grant funding, in his Pension and Budget Statement.

Illinois has a backlog of $12 million in MAP Grant funds owed to NIU, according to a Jan. 25 Committee on Resources, Space and Budgets report.

A raise in both personal income tax and corporate income tax will generate six billion dollars in addition revenue, said Peters.

“I remain hopeful this new revenue will eventually solve some of the state’s cash flow issues,” Peters said.

The current funding NIU receives has been decreasing every year since 2002. The current levels, about $100 million, are what they were at back in 1999, Hoey said.

Hoey does not expect that the governor will talk about the funding for the Stevens Building because those plans are already moving forward. The funding was part of the 2011 budget.

Quinn will present his budget proposal at noon today. Even after a major income tax increase, the proposal is likely to include some painful measures meant to drag state government out of its massive budget hole.

A $1-a-pack increase in cigarette taxes could be included in Quinn’s budget.

Illinois has fallen months behind in paying community organizations, charities and businesses for work they do on the state’s behalf. Quinn argues the smartest move is to pay those bills immediately by borrowing money. A portion of the income tax increase approved last month is earmarked to pay off the new debt over 14 years.

The state currently owes NIU $77 million, more than it did at this time last year, according to the report.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.