Home Assistant - set_state python script

#--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Set the state or other attributes for the entity specified in the Automation Action
#--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

inputEntity = data.get('entity_id')
if inputEntity is None:
    logger.warning("===== entity_id is required if you want to set something.")
elif hass.states.get(inputEntity) is None:
    logger.warning("===== unknown entity_id: %s", inputEntity)
else:
    inputStateObject = hass.states.get(inputEntity)
    inputState = inputStateObject.state
    inputAttributesObject = inputStateObject.attributes.copy()

    for item in data:
        newAttribute = data.get(item)
        logger.debug("===== item = {0}; value = {1}".format(item,newAttribute))
        if item == 'entity_id':
            continue            # already handled
        elif item == 'state':
            inputState = newAttribute
        else:
            inputAttributesObject[item] = newAttribute

    hass.states.set(inputEntity, inputState, inputAttributesObject)