K , ▁jobs , ▁and ▁development ▁projects , ▁which ▁he ▁predicted ▁would ▁raise ▁$ 4 0 0 ▁million ▁over ▁five ▁years , ▁all ▁the ▁while ▁reducing ▁sugar ▁int ake ▁by ▁decre asing ▁the ▁demand ▁for ▁sug ary ▁be ver ages . ▁Ken ney ' s ▁s oda ▁tax ▁proposal ▁was ▁brought ▁to ▁the ▁national ▁spot light ▁and ▁divided ▁key ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party . ▁President ial ▁hope ful ▁Bern ie ▁Sand ers ▁argued ▁in ▁an ▁op - ed ▁that ▁the ▁tax ▁would ▁hurt ▁the ▁poor . ▁His ▁oppon ent , ▁Hill ary ▁Cl inton , ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁said ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁" very ▁support ive " ▁of ▁the ▁idea . ▁The ▁American ▁B ever age ▁Association ▁( AB A ), ▁fund ed ▁by ▁s oda ▁companies ▁and ▁distrib utors , ▁ran ▁local ▁television , ▁radio , ▁and ▁newspaper ▁advert is ements ▁against ▁the ▁idea , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁the ▁tax ▁would ▁dis pro port ion ately ▁hurt ▁the ▁poor . ▁The ▁A BA ▁spent ▁$ 1 0 . 6 ▁million ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁in ▁its ▁effort ▁against ▁the ▁tax . ▁The ▁American ▁Medical ▁Association , ▁American ▁Heart ▁Association , ▁and ▁other ▁medical ▁and ▁public ▁health ▁groups ▁support ▁the ▁tax . ▁ ▁The ▁Philadelphia ▁City ▁Council ▁approved ▁a ▁ 1 . 5 - c ents - per - ounce ▁tax ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁As ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁comprom ise ▁legisl ation ▁that ▁passed , ▁the ▁tax ▁is ▁also ▁im