Arkansas Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Services v. Legal Aid of Arkansas

Summary

The court affirmed an order requiring the Arkansas Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Services to produce unredacted records concerning the algorithms and factors used to identify potentially fraudulent unemployment-benefit claims. It held that the law-enforcement exemption did not apply because the agency was not a law-enforcement agency authorized to investigate suspected criminal activity, and that the competitive-advantage exemption did not apply because benefit applicants are not competitors or bidders. The court construed both exemptions narrowly in favor of disclosure.