'return the unchanged value of this attribute'

def get_committed_value(self, state, dict_, passive=PASSIVE_OFF):

    if (self.key in state.committed_state):
        value = state.committed_state[self.key]
        if (value is NO_VALUE):
            return None
        else:
            return value
    else:
        return self.get(state, dict_, passive=passive)
