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 algorithms and fraud-detection factors used in unemployment-benefit eligibility determinations. It held that the law-enforcement exemption did not apply because the agency was not a law-enforcement agency authorized to investigate criminal activity, and that the competitive-advantage exemption did not apply because benefit applicants are not competitors or bidders. The court interpreted both exemptions narrowly and in favor of disclosure.