With debate and votes taking place around the state and polls showing a growing acceptance, the issue of same-sex marriage and domestic partner rights will likely be among a host of second-tier issues that could determine which presidential candidate takes the state.

In a Quinnipiac University Polling Institute poll released this week, a majority of voters said the candidates' stance on same-sex marriage would not affect the way they would vote.

Following up on calls to raise premiums to match risk, Florida's state-backed property insurer is taking a second look at wind mitigation incentives put in place a decade ago.

For many of its customers, that means higher rates.

Citizens Property Insurance Corp. plans to take a look at 209,000 residential policies by the end of the year to see if granted wind mitigation credits are warranted.

New coastal homeowners seeking coverage from the state-backed insurance pool would see premiums double in some regions under a scenario to be reviewed Thursday by a key regulatory committee.

Members of Citizens Property Insurance Corp.'s actuarial and underwriting committee will review a proposal that would raise premiums for new Citizens customers by nearly 30 percent statewide in an effort to depopulate the state-backed property insurer that now handles nearly 1.4 million policies.

Preliminary grades on a ramped up statewide writing assessment are so bad that state education officials said Monday they will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday to figure out what to do next.

Passing scores on the FCAT writing assessment plummeted from 81 percent to 27 percent for fourth graders and showed similar drops in eighth and 10th grades, according to statewide results of the FCAT writing assessment released by the Department of Education.

The Florida Supreme court took center stage this week as it reversed itself and approved term limits for local officials while hearing arguments in a handful of cases that will affect homeowners, legal immigrants and potential deportees.

Gearing up for November, state election officials estimate that as many as 180,000 ineligible voters may be on the state's voter rolls.

Weighing in on a case with huge implications for the state's housing industry, the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday heard arguments over whether lenders caught forging documents can escape scrutiny by simply dismissing the foreclosure case and refiling it with proper documents.

Florida's newly drawn political boundaries jumped critical hurdles this week that will now allow candidates to gear up campaigns knowing they are spending hard-earned campaign contributions on actual approved districts.

Separate court rulings found mapmakers adhered to requirements of the Fair Districts amendments and satisfied Justice Department requirements regarding voter access and now put all three Republican-backed efforts that much closer to finality.

Gov. Rick Scott and the courts took center stage this week, as the chief executive vetoed a controversial tuition bill while judges struck down a state-employee drug testing plan and approved Senate redistricting maps and a possible expansion of slot machines.

The actions came as Scott approved another flurry of bills, including measures dealing with youth athletes, disabled parking, recycled metals and water storage, as well as a slew of local bills affecting different parts of the state.

SCOTT VETOES TUITION CARTE BLANCHE:

Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will explore charging new customers potentially much higher rates but backed away from final approval Thursday following pushback from consumers, lawmakers and state officials.

Following debate and public testimony, Citizens' board of governors, meeting in Tampa, directed staff to work up a package of proposed rates for 2013 that includes allowing the state-backed insurer to charge new customers premiums that more closely meet actuarially sound rates.